New Zealand and India will meet each other in the fourth ODI of the series between the teams at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday, November 13. India currently lead the series 2-0 after victories in the first two matches. The third match was abandoned due to rain. A win in this match will allow India to coast to a comfortable series win. Therefore, it means that New Zealand will have to work doubly hard to go toe-to-toe with their opponents. If the Kiwis lose their patience and composure in this clash, they will miss out on defending the series. While winning the series is out of the question for them, they can still win these last two games and draw it, retaining some dignity. Earlier, they lost the T20I series 2-3 to India.
It is quite clear that India have better white-ball talent than New Zealand at the moment, and are keen on making the most of it. The return of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma for the ODI leg of this tour has given the Indians a massive shot in the arm. With captain Shubman Gill resting from the last two ODIs, Shreyas Iyer has been asked to take over as India captain. New Zealand have the likes of Will Young, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen in their lineup who can take up a bit more responsibility. The Kiwis cannot expect the youngsters in the side to rise to such occasions against a side as strong as India. Nonetheless, a lot will be expected from Kristian Clarke and Adam Fisher in the bowling department. If they can restrict the Indian batters, the home team will have an advantage.
Predicted Teams
NZ: Will Young, Tim Seifert, Finn Allen, Nick Kelly, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matthew Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Kristian Clarke.
IND: Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
Key Players
Tim Seifert (NZ): Top-order wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert is among the most explosive players in the current New Zealand setup. Seifert’s greatest strength is his ability to take his feet towards the pitch of the ball and play his shots through the line. Seifert can also play cross-bat shots whenever the Indians pitch it short to him. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Seifert is confident with both the cut and pull strokes. If he gets going early in the innings, Seifert will give his team a lot of confidence. A top-order partnership is of utmost necessity in this format of the game, and Seifert can deliver that for his country.
Mohammed Siraj (IND): With several changes in the India squad ahead of the last two ODIs, Mohammed Siraj will be tasked with leading their bowling unit. Although Siraj is a valuable commodity in red-ball cricket, he can be a dangerous prospect in ODIs, too. Siraj’s greatest strength is his pace, and from the time he has learnt to vary them, he has become hard to read. His slower deliveries and off-cutters have become the stuff of legends, with many batters comparing notes on how to play him. He can get the ball to skid after pitching it at a back of a length. Siraj is also a workhorse: he can keep going for as long as his captain Shreyas Iyer wants him to.
Match Prediction
Momentum is clearly on India’s side, and they are expected to win. They may have done the same in the third match itself had it not rained. This time around, however, they have got some time off and will make the most of this short break. India’s bowling unit, led by Hyderabad speedster Mohammed Siraj, has improved significantly from their showing in the T20Is, and that is perhaps their biggest positive. Arshdeep Singh is a proven commodity, but Auqib Nabi too has displayed his wares well.
