India on the verge of capturing second ODI series of 2023 as New Zealand look to stay alive

In a crucial fixture that can very well seal the fate of the ongoing series between India and New Zealand, Raipur will be playing host to two juggernauts of the sport. After a thrilling encounter in the series opener, the fans will be expecting another crackerjack of a contest between the leather and the willow.

Both sides will be hoping to have a closer look at their batting department as the first contest was a stoush of individual brilliances where Shubman Gill and Michael Bracewell showcased their flair for hard-hitting. However, looking at the other cameos that were stitched on day one of the series, there were a handful of questionable displays that would be bothering both sheds.

India may head into this battle with somewhat of an unchanged eleven that would provide an opportunity for the batters to impose their strength despite a silent start to the series. New Zealand, on the contrary, may opt to shuffle a bit given the depth that they have in their ranks.

The bowlers will be crucial to this fixture considering the early drift that the surface has to offer as the history of the venue narrates. However, with the kind of firepower that these two teams come to the fore with, another thriller may be awaiting us all.

Venue Watch:

No ODIs have so far been played in this stadium and this will be history in the making. Going by the stature of the domestic cricket played here, the pitch usually offers a decent balance between bat and ball and most importantly, it is not a high-scoring surface. However, this is going to be a very closely contested encounter considering the lack of differences in the aspects of the pitch in both halves of the game.

Head-to-head:

Matches played: 114

India: 56

New Zealand: 50

Match Details:

India vs New Zealand

Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium, Raipur

20th January 2023

1:30 PM IST

Squads:

India:

Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik.

New Zealand:

Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen, Doug Bracewell [for Matt Henry], Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner