The Indian team won the first T20 match against New Zealand, taking an advantage in the series. The game was intense, but following this victory, several questions arose, particularly regarding the participation of Vaibhav Suryavanshi, as Ishan Kishan was excluded from the second T20 match due to a thigh muscle injury.
Today, October 24th, a number of questions will arise again in Christchurch, and several improvements will be needed. In the match played at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, the Indian team found itself in a difficult position, chasing a target of 226 runs. The victory was achieved thanks to the performances of Sandeep Samson, Shreyas Iyer, and Naman Dira, but shortcomings were identified in the game that the team needs to address.
The Indian team won by scoring 230/6 in the match played on October 22nd at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, replying to New Zealand's 225/4. After five days of high-scoring matches against West Indies, the Indian squad took the field again for a major match. Despite the win, it was evident that improvements were required in some aspects of fielding and bowling.
Need for improvement in fielding
In the previous match, an Indian fielder missed a catch, resulting in a fielding error. During the 11th over of New Zealand's innings, Daryl Mitchell deflected a straight drive towards long-on off Moinak Yadav's ball. Abhishek Sharma, who was positioned there, had a good chance to catch the ball but failed to do so. This allowed Mitchell to avoid dismissal and cost India a crucial wicket. Mitchell scored 28 runs off 10 balls in the match.
In T20 cricket, one catch can change the course of a match. Therefore, the Indian team needs to work on its catching skills and ability to take catches in the field.
Need to control the pace in the early overs
The initial overs from the Indian bowling attack also raised concerns. Arshdeep should have taken responsibility for containing the run rate and taking wickets with the new ball. Conceding too many runs in the early overs against such an aggressive team as New Zealand can put pressure on subsequent batsmen.
India needs to come out with the correct length and game plans during the powerplay so that opponents are not allowed to play freely from the start. Attention must be paid to the fact that Bhuvneshwar Kumar conceded 4 runs in his first over upon his international return, and allowed 17 runs in the next over. Similarly, Arshdeep conceded 8 runs in his first over and also allowed 17 runs in the second over. New Zealand scored 65 runs in the powerplay (first 6 overs) in Christchurch.
After Bhuvneshwar Kumar's return, his performance in the early overs was good, and he performed well in the death overs. However, he proved expensive in the middle overs. The importance of the middle overs increases significantly in T20 matches, as this is when batsmen try to accelerate the innings and hit big shots.
Will Akshar Patel get a spin partner like Stainer-Breswell?
New Zealand spinners Mitchell Stainer and Michael Breshaw posed difficulties for the Indian batsmen in the middle overs. Both took two wickets, slowing down India's momentum in the match. India was in a strong position, scoring 93 runs without loss, but then lost four wickets for 22 runs, scoring 29 runs. Breshaw took 2 wickets, conceding 37 runs in 4 overs in the high-scoring match, and Stainer also took 2 wickets, conceding 39 runs in 4 overs.
The question arises whether India should introduce another effective spin option to take wickets and restrict runs in the middle overs alongside Akshar. The way Stainer and Breshaw troubled the Indian batsmen will certainly spark a discussion about the balance of the Indian spin department. Although Akshar took 1 wicket, conceding 51 runs in 4 overs, he was the most expensive bowler. Now it remains to be seen who among Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy will secure a spot in the team.
Will Shivam Dubey replace Nitish?
In this match, India gave Nitish Kumar Reddy an opportunity instead of Shivam Dubey. Because of this, Akshar Patel was sent to bat at number six. Akshar scored 24 runs off 14 balls, building a 45-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer off 24 balls. This year, his average in 18 T20 international matches was 8.66, and his run rate was 106.55, although he primarily batted at number eight. Nitish conceded 40 runs in 4 overs with the ball and took 1 wicket, while remaining on 2 runs without being dismissed in batting. Although the probability of replacing Nitish with Shivam Dubey is low, he might feature in the team instead of Ishan Kishan. If so, Tilak Verma could play at number three.
Focus on Vaibhav Suryavanshi's selection in the second T20
Despite India's victory in the first match, the discussion market is heating up regarding the squad for the second T20. Against the backdrop of Ishan Kishan's absence and uncertainty about Vaibhav Suryavanshi's place in the team, the Indian team needs to make a decision.