It’s hard to find faults with a batting performance in a cricket match when it resulted in a 90-run victory. India were once again thoroughly professional in their approach against New Zealand in the second one-day international in Mount Maunganui on Saturday to take a 2-0 lead. This series was supposed to be the sternest test in 2019 for Virat Kohli and Co ahead of the World Cup starting in May but in the first two matches, India have only established themselves as a force to reckon with in the 50-over format.
Having said that, there was one area of concern which emerged from the Indian batting performance at the Bay Oval, that even the captain and vice-captain alluded to in their post-match interviews.
Setting a target
Virat Kohli showed no hesitation while choosing to bat first after winning the toss even as New Zealand captain Kane Williamson seemed to be wondering what to do if the coin flip had gone his way. The Kiwi captain was not entirely sure about what approach to take given his decision to bat first in Napier (a ground where chasing has not been historically easy) backfired. This Indian team is exceptional at chasing down scores and any captain will think twice before asking them to field first.
Kohli, however, knew his side needs to be challenged in the lead-up to the World Cup. He said it in Australia after the defeat in the first ODI, that getting the strategies right is more important to him right now than results. And it was to that end that he decided to bat first on Saturday, after having chased (successfully) in all four matches of 2019 so far.
There are a few things that we have come to expect from this Indian team on a regular basis. Their fielding and fitness is probably the best it’s ever been. The wrist-spinner(s) almost always deliver wickets in the middle overs. Their first-choice top-three in the batting lineup is arguably the best in world cricket right now.
But a few areas of uncertainty remain and one of them is the ability to set a target that is above par in good batting conditions. That happens, almost inevitably, if one among Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan or Kohli go on to score a century or more. But when they don’t, as was the case in the second ODI against New Zealand, does the middle order have it in them to translate a good platform into a near-unchaseable total?
An area of concern
Consider this: When Kohli was dismissed in the first ball of the 39th over, the scoreboard read: 236/3. In the 38 deliveries after that, India scored 35 runs with just two boundaries scored. There was a 21-ball period between Kohli and Ambati Rayudu’s dismissals that not a single hit to the fence came along. While it was understandable that Dhoni, the new batsman coming in, would have needed some time to settle in, the more concerning factor would have been Rayudu’s inability to accelerate even after getting his eye in.
Not for the first time in 2019, India’s ‘new’ No 4 batsman struggled to time the ball throughout his innings. There were a few good hits to the fence (3 fours, 1 six) in his 49-ball 47 but for someone who takes up such a crucial position in ODIs for India, his lack of dynamism in the middle during the ODIs in Australia and so far in New Zealand may pose an issue for India. After Kohli’s dismissal, when he had to kick on as the well-set batsman, Rayudu scored slower than he did in the early part of the innings — in the last 22 balls he faced, he made 16 runs.
Dhoni, on the other hand, looked busy from get go even if he couldn’t find the fence at will. The aforementioned 21-ball boundary drought ended with a streaky outside edge for four from Dhoni’s bat. And he was dropped at third man when on 29 off 22 balls. But he made the most of that reprieve and alongside Kedar Jadhav, stitched together a 26-ball half century partnership to push India past 320.
“I made a conscious effort after the drinks break that I’m going to go hard between 34-40 overs so we can get 340-350. Once I got out, the new batsman had to take time. These are the things we need to look into with the World Cup nearby,” Kohli said after the win.
“We would like to score those 15-20 runs extra but at the same time, good to see us chip our way to a balanced total.”
That Dhoni and Jadhav gave India the momentum going into the break did not prevent Kohli and Sharma from thinking they had achieved a par (or below) score. They admitted to having concerns, given the quality of New Zealand’s batting line-up on paper and the nature of the pitch which was a batting beauty. Ultimately, the Indian bowling attack proved to be too good and it was only a late cameo from Doug Bracewell that brought the margin of victory down to two digits.
But, as Kohli had said in Australia, this is a phase where results don’t matter as much as the performances in ODIs and if that was true in defeat at Sydney, it should be in the victory at Mount Maunganui as well. And the good news is that the Indian camp seems well aware of that.