New Zealand v India 5th ODI

The series is already decided, but there is a test series to follow, and as such both sides have important stakes in the final ODI of the 5 match series.
New Zealand have called up uncapped seamer Matt Henry, but it remains to be seen whether he'll get his debut here. Tim Southee could be rested ahead of the test series, but the batting order might not see changes.
As for India, Ishant Sharma, who is never too far away from a comeback despite doing nothing, is not unlikely to repeat the feat ones again. Varun Aaron could go out. Virat Kohli was wasted at the top and they may not repeat the same mistake, meaning a comeback for Shikhar Dhawan in place of Ambati Rayudu or Stuart Binny, or even Ajinkya Rahane who is never too far away from being dumped easily.

The Indian seam bowling unit is struggling big time, and cricinfo's Abhishek Purohit suggests perhaps thinking short-term may not a bad idea. He says India have to think of bring Zaheer Khan back into the ODI fold. Zaheer last played an ODI in 2012.
http://www.espncricinfo.com/new-zealand-v-india-2014/content/story/714011.html

The cricinfo match preview indicated that India might consider Ishant Sharma also keeping the test series in mind. That would be a double travesty, not only does Ishant deserve no chance to comeback so soon, but even more importantly, he shouldn't be anywhere near the test attack.
This would be a good opportunity to introduce the promising Ishwar Pandey into the mix and see what he can bring to the table.

msp83 wrote:The cricinfo match preview indicated that India might consider Ishant Sharma also keeping the test series in mind. That would be a double travesty, not only does Ishant deserve no chance to comeback so soon, but even more importantly, he shouldn't be anywhere near the test attack.
This would be a good opportunity to introduce the promising Ishwar Pandey into the mix and see what he can bring to the table.

I have been saying..... many times Dhoni allows a match or two to be ruined to prove a point to the selectors.......and then do his agenda.

what about fair-run to Aaron he should get 4 to 5 games.

and I agree it is a double tragedy if Ishant is playing because they need him to practise for the test match.....

this is why he is called "agenda bhai"

remember how Jadeja was "asked" to be injured before the WI-Tendulkar farewell series
making room for one batsman
and then Rohot selected over Rahane stating "they needed a batsman who could bowl spin"

and another time when NZ toured India.......Raina was forced into the test match 11 ahead of Rahane saying that the team "needed a left hander at No.6"

New Zealand, batting first, made 303, thanks to Ross Taylor's 2nd consecutive hundred. Taylor made 102, and Kane Williamson made yet another half-century, 88 this time. Varun Aaron took 2 wickets while Shami, Kumar and Virat Kohli took 1 each. Kohli bowled 7 overs for figures of 1 for 36.

India struggling at the moment at 15-1 in the 7th over. Kohli and Dhawan at the crease.

binny....didn't bat, didn't bowl and dropped.

aaron was bowling at 150kph......that's good pace, he should be encouraged.
control can be taught and practised, pace is not easy to be taught

dhoni's pets rohit flops again

India 30-3 in the 14th over. The openers and Rahane gone, Rahane out to an ugly shot, swinging across the line and missing a straight one to be pinned LBW. Another single digit score for Rahane and he has blown his chance royally. He got a fair run in this series and has disappointed. 4 failures and one unconverted start is criminal waste of talent, I still believe he has a ODI future but the way he ruined his chances here in this series, he has to go for now.

India 39-3 after 16. Seamer Matt Henry with 2 wickets on debut. India are being choked at the moment, and not even Virat Kohli is able to do anything about it.

KP_fan wrote:binny....didn't bat, didn't bowl and dropped.

aaron was bowling at 150kph......that's good pace, he should be encouraged.
control can be taught and practised, pace is not easy to be taught

Aaron's pace was up today. And he got a few to swing as well.

Rayudu too fails, 20 of 40 for him. Henri takes his 3rd, India tottering at 78-4 after 24.

The skipper in at 6.

I would still blame the bowling....they are leaving batsmen under too much pressure from the start.

instead of chasing 250-270......we are always up against 310ish on an average.

Well its serious predicament......Dhoni has announced it's too close too the world cup so the captain cannot be changed

The bowling has been poor for quite some time. Its like the England test side for the last couple of years in a sense. The Englaish batsmen were struggling for 2 years but before the unraveling in Australia, the bowlers bailed them out more often than not. But like the English bowlers, the Indian batsmen have reached point where they are not able to continue with it for any more.

Will India bat out the 50 overs. They are 170-6 at the moment.

Maybe time for New Zealand to start looking at breakaway and form their own "big three". These one sided series are doing nothing for them.   

New Zealand's 22 year old debutant seamer Matt Henry finishes with figures of 4 for 38 in his 10 overs. Looks like a very good prospect for them.

Well that was a very convincing win from New Zealand to finish the series as 4-0 winners.

Henry looked good today but the whole Kiwi team has played with confidence this series.
The same can't be said about India... unusual to see. It's as though their hearts weren't in it as a team.

4-0 is the verdict.

India's problems generally speaking:

1) Too much preparing for the world cup and playing for the future( they are as obsessed with world cup planning as Eng is about Ashes)...instead of doing the best to win a game on the given day.

2) Fluctuating between stubborn selection to too much experimentation .

3) Dhoni's inability to use bowlers as an attacking option to win matches.

Of course 4-0.
What was I thinking... that damn loss in Perth!   

Well done NZ, now for the tests.

Ind were wiped out similarly in ODIs in SA also...but were able to re-group for tests.
Lets see if we can do the same here

KP_fan wrote:Ind were wiped out similarly in ODIs in SA also...but were able to re-group for tests.
Lets see if we can do the same here

With Pujara and Zaheer joining the test side, both departments should gain some additional strength.
Hopefully there will be some good result oriented tracks so that we can have an exciting test series.

Rohit and Dhawan look horribly out of depth overseas, don't they? May have to consider bringing back Gambhir apart from picking Pujara of course. Tiwary at 4 in place of Rahane?

ShankyCricket wrote:Rohit and Dhawan look horribly out of depth overseas, don't they? May have to consider bringing back Gambhir apart from picking Pujara of course. Tiwary at 4 in place of Rahane?

Ambati Rayudu, though rated highly in Indian cricketing circle and also by some of us, hasn't really excited me all that much. Nothing in his short international career has done anything to change that either. Not saying he should be forgotten or anything, but I really need some convincing.......

Rayadu still hasn't overcome the debut nerves

KP fan said after the third ODI: 'I don't think I am is stating that there is any certainty...but rather combining wish and hope...with some rationale.

the rationale being...India hit the ground cold......new pitches, weather conditions no practice games.....are only now beginning to warm up and also figuring their best combinations.'

You were half right. Your statement bore no resemblance to reality and was based entirely on wish and hope.   

Only joking KP fan but I certainly hope India take the NZ test side as lightly as they appeared to have taken the one day side. NZ should by all means lose the test series but they should've by all rights lost the one day series when you look at the rankings.

The thing with NZ is that they are a bit like lemmings. If players self destruct in numbers, then it quickly deteriorates into a mass killing. But if one or two influential lemmings stick around, they start to make significant contributions to lemming morale and suddenly they start feeling all is bright and beautiful with the world.

msp83 wrote:

ShankyCricket wrote:Rohit and Dhawan look horribly out of depth overseas, don't they? May have to consider bringing back Gambhir apart from picking Pujara of course. Tiwary at 4 in place of Rahane?

Ambati Rayudu, though rated highly in Indian cricketing circle and also by some of us, hasn't really excited me all that much. Nothing in his short international career has done anything to change that either. Not saying he should be forgotten or anything, but I really need some convincing.......

Isnt this the problem though? Its pretty much the whole batting line up thats struggled. Only Kholi and Dhoni actually justify a place based on recent returns. Ghambir lost his because he didnt.
You have to pick someone. Pujara and Tiwary do look like good options though.

Dropping the batting line up doesnt solve the other big problem : the bowling is poor and not balanced. Neither Pujara nor Tiwary will make the slightest change to that.

kiakahaaotearoa wrote:KP fan said after the third ODI: 'I don't think I am is stating that there is any certainty...but rather combining wish and hope...with some rationale.

the rationale being...India hit the ground cold......new pitches, weather conditions no practice games.....are only now beginning to warm up and also figuring their best combinations.'

You were half right. Your statement bore no resemblance to reality and was based entirely on wish and hope.   

Only joking KP fan but I certainly hope India take the NZ test side as lightly as they appeared to have taken the one day side. NZ should by all means lose the test series but they should've by all rights lost the one day series when you look at the rankings.

The thing with NZ is that they are a bit like lemmings. If players self destruct in numbers, then it quickly deteriorates into a mass killing. But if one or two influential lemmings stick around, they start to make significant contributions to lemming morale and suddenly they start feeling all is bright and beautiful with the world.

That made me laugh.

I do, however, prefer to see them as a tight clique of meerkats these days. Confidence in numbers leading to better performances for the tribe.