India and New Zealand are ready to face each other in the 2nd match of the 3-match ODI series at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, on Wednesday, January 14. This match is scheduled to begin at 1:30 PM IST. Stay tuned with our IND vs NZ prediction, team preview, pitch report, player stats and winner prediction ahead of this exciting contest.
The Indian side has been in excellent form in the ODI format, an example of which was also shown in the first match of this series where they easily defeated New Zealand by four wickets. Now, the host has a 1-0 lead in this series. India’s consistent bowling and batting performance has shown why it is one of the best teams in the world in this format. From here, India will definitely want to put pressure on New Zealand and win the second match to take control of the series.
On the other hand, New Zealand’s squad consists mostly of young players who do not have much experience, as was evident from the last match. However, the young players will once again have a chance to prove themselves.
Head-to-Head Record: Till now, a total of 121 ODI matches have been played between these two sides, in which India performed outstandingly and won 63 games while New Zealand has won 50. Moreover, India looked in good form, they also won all the last five head-to-head games.
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India Preview
India started this series on winning notes, where they won the series opener. In the last match, the host won the toss, chose to bowl first and bowled out New Zealand for 300 runs. After which, Team India got a strong start from the beginning and thanks to the excellent innings of Virat Kohli, they easily won the match by four wickets. India will definitely want to maintain their winning streak.
In batting, Indian star players showed their experience and played excellently in the last game.Chasing 301, the team got off to a good start with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill. While Gill made 56 off 71 balls, Rohit Sharma gave the team a quick start and was dismissed early. But Virat Kohli’s brilliant innings of 93 runs in 91 balls did not allow Team India to falter. Overall, the host has a strong batting line-up and they want to continue performing well in the next game as well.
The Indian team has consistently performed well in bowling as well. In the last match, the trio of Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna took two wickets each to prevent New Zealand from posting a big total. Although the Indian bowlers failed to take early wickets, they still bowled well in the middle-overs, which they would like to continue in the next match as well.
Tip
| Player | Tip | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Virat Kohli | Over 42.5 Runs | 1.85 |
Virat Kohli played a superb knock of 93 in the last match and looked in complete control during the chase. His experience, consistency, and current rhythm make him India’s safest batting pick once again.
New Zealand Preview
New Zealand did not have a good start to this tri-series as they lost the first match by four wickets despite being in a strong position. Batting first, they got a good start but could not capitalise on it, which clearly shows that they lack experience. This was the reason that despite scoring a big score like 300, they were unable to take control of the game.
In batting, New Zealand got off to a good start with their openers in the last game, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls scoring half-centuries, followed by a solid 84-run knock from Daryl Mitchell, which helped take the team’s total past 300. However, the team will definitely expect better performances from Will Young, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Hay.
The bowling performance in the last match was definitely a bit weak from the kiwi bowlers. Despite scoring a big score, he was unable to put pressure on Team India. Apart from Kyle Jamieson’s 4/41 in 10 overs, the other bowlers failed to make an impact. New Zealand definitely needs to improve their bowling only then they can be successful in giving a tough fight to Team India.
| Player | Tip | Odds |
|---|---|---|
| Daryl Mitchell | Over 34.5 Runs | 1.85 |
Daryl Mitchell scored a solid 84 in the previous game and was New Zealand’s best batter. He remains their key middle-order player to anchor the innings and is well placed to cross this mark again.
IND vs NZ Probably Playing XI
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (C), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammad Siraj, Prasidh Krishna.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay, Mitchael Bracewell (C), Zak Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Adithya Ashok.
IND vs NZ Pitch Report
The pitch at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot, generally offers a batting-friendly surface. The ball here comes in with a good bounce, making it easier for the batsmen to hit boundaries. Generally, matches played here see high scores totals in the first innings. However, the pitch may help the bowlers a bit if they use good line and length. But the dew will definitely have an impact on the game. Spinners will get wicket-taking opportunities in the middle overs.
The weather on Wednesday at Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot is expected to be sunny, around 27°C, with 0% chance of rain, low 30% humidity and light winds near 11 km/h.
Venue ODI Statistics
| Stats | Details |
|---|---|
| Total Matches | 7 |
| Matches won batting first | 6 |
| Matches won bowling first | 1 |
| Average 1st innings Score | 332 |
| Average 2nd innings Score | 254 |
| Highest total recorded | 435/5 (50 Ovs) – INDW vs IREW |
| Lowest total recorded | 131/10 (31.4 Ovs) – IREW vs INDW |
| Highest score chased | 241/4 (34.3 Ovs) – INDW vs IREW |
| Lowest score defended | 270/7 (50 Ovs) – RSA vs IND |
IND vs NZ Winner Prediction
Team India has consistently performed well, almost all their players are in good form and their record against New Zealand also seems to be in their favour, hence India will be the favourites to win this match. The Rajkot pitch is also suitable for the strong Indian batting line-up, which they would definitely like to take advantage of.
On the other hand, New Zealand’s performance against India has been disappointing in the recent past, which is why they haven’t won any of their last five matches. The lack of experienced players certainly hurt the team in the last match. However, they have the potential to surprise India as they have talented young players in the squad.
Our Prediction: India
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