IND vs NZ 2nd ODI | The Indian Cricket team is all set to face New Zealand in the second ODI of the three-match series in Raipur on Saturday. Rohit Sharma's India lead the series by 1-0 as the Men in Blue defeated Tom Latham's New Zealand by 12 runs in Hyderabad. However, ahead of the second match, the Indian team has to do some brainstorming on the playing combinations, especially in bowling.
India went with four pure bowlers with Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar being the fifth and sixth bowlers. Rohit Sharma played Shardul Thakur as the third seam option due to his credentials of offering some batting at No.8. However, he was among those bowlers who leaked runs and with Umran Malik performing consistently, the axe hangs upon Thakur. India's bowling coach Paras Mhambrey has cleared the air on who will play in the second match in Raipur.
Speaking in a media interaction ahead on the eve of the second match, Mhambrey said that both the players add value to the team and the decision to play one of them depends upon the surface. That (batting) is one of the reasons why we picked him (Thakur). He adds depth to the batting. We will have to see the surface and decide on the combination accordingly. He has performed well for India,” Mhambrey said. On Malik, the bowling coach added "The way he has progressed, it is very heartening to see. Pace does matter and adds a different dimension to the attack. The decision of playing him will depend on surface and requirement of the team combination."
'Umran very much in the scheme of things for WC': Mhambrey
Meanwhile, the bowling coach has claimed that Umran Malik is very much in the scheme of things to play in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India. "He is very much in the scheme of things as far as the world cup is concerned. He adds a lot of value to the team," he said.
Meanwhile, the coach also stated that the team is missing the services of star bowler Jasprit Bumrah. "Bumrah is a unique bowler and he is irreplaceable, let's accept that fact. It is very difficult to replicate his skills. On the order side, it gives an opportunity for others to be tested at this level. We will find out what they bring to the table and how they deal with pressure," he said. Mhambrey also said that the team discussed on the bowling after the first ODI, which India managed to win by just 12 runs even after New Zealand were reduced to 131/6 in their chase of 350.
"When you score 350 on a surface like that you expect partnerships from the other side, they lost six quick wickets but you expect in a game like that, there will be a partnership, and they bat till 8. Santner is a handy batter as well. What is important is you win games, and you may be tested. We have charted out things we wanted to focus on and implement in this game. We are not looking at too much experimentation but we need to test players that we have shortlisted," he said.
