India look to break 20-year-old jinx against New Zealand: 3 key talking points

Team India will take on New Zealand in match number 21 of the 2023 ODI World Cup at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday. Both the sides will go into the game high on confidence, having not lost a single match in the tournament so far.

India have played four and won four. They began their World Cup campaign with an impressive six-wicket triumph over Australia in Chennai and followed it up with a crushing eight-wicket win over Afghanistan in Delhi.

Arch-rivals Pakistan proved no match in Ahmedabad as they were handed a seven-wicket defeat. In their last match against Bangladesh in Pune, the Men in Blue registered another easy win, again by a seven-wicket margin.

With a victory over the Kiwis on Sunday in Dharamsala, the Men in Blue will go to the top of the points table. As of now, New Zealand occupy pole position due to a superior net run rate. It won’t be an easy task though.

On that note, here are key talking points pertaining to the Indian camp ahead of their 2023 World Cup clash against New Zealand.

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#1 Finding balance in Hardik Pandya's absence

Hardik Pandya suffered an ankle injury against Bangladesh. (Pic: AP)

The big news for India heading into the match against New Zealand was of course the unavailability of all-rounder Hardik Pandya due to an ankle injury. As per reports, either Suryakumar Yadav or Ishan Kishan could replace him.

In his peculiar style, head coach Rahul Dravid did not give any definite answer as to who would come into the playing XI in place of Hardik, but he did throw a hint.

“If you're looking for someone who might be look to be a bit of an enforcer for us in the lower middle order Surya is certainly someone who can do that. If you're looking for someone a little bit higher up the order, then maybe we might go with Ishan,” he said at the pre-match press conference.

Giving a clue about Suryakumar’s possible inclusion, Dravid commented:

“The role may be for a middle overs role, so we just have to see which one.”

In a related development, though, both Kishan and Suryakumar had to abruptly end their practice sessions due to different reasons.

While Kishan was stung by a bee and was seen holding his neck, Suryakumar was stuck on the wrist and looked in visible pain even as an ice pack was being applied on the affected area.

Will the two incidents force India to make any further change in plans? We will know at the toss.

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Breaking the Kiwi jinx

New Zealand have not lost a match to India in any ICC event since 2003. (Pic: AP)

There is something about the Indian team that brings out the best in New Zealand in ICC events. From silent killers, they become giant killers. It is amazing that although the Men in Blue have the lead in the overall head-to-head battle between the teams in ODIs, India have not beaten New Zealand in an ICC event in any format since 2003.

Kiwi left-arm pacer Trent Boult cheekily hinted towards the same without making a direct reference to the stat.

He told Reuters ahead of the World Cup clash:

“They're [India] a powerful team, they cover all bases. They've been playing some good cricket but it's been a team that we've enjoyed playing.”

Stand-in captain Tom Latham played down New Zealand’s undefeated 20-year-old streak against India. The fact, however, remains that the Kiwis have a psychological edge over the Men in Blue.

It is equally true that the current Indian outfit under Rohit Sharma looks strong enough to end the barren run. But, as clichéd as it may sound, it will all be about handling the pressure on the day.

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#3 The Shardul Thakur conundrum

Shardul Thakur has failed to make an impact so far. (Pic: AP)

All-rounder Shardul Thakur’s role in the Indian team in the ongoing World Cup has come into question for sure. The handy cricketer, who recently turned 32, hasn’t done much in the three games that he has played.

Thakur registered figures of 1/31 in six overs against Afghanistan and bowled only two overs for 12 runs against Pakistan. The pacer was slightly expensive against Bangladesh, finishing with figures of 1/59 from nine overs.

Rather bizarrely, he hasn’t batted in any of the three games as India registered comprehensive wins. One of the reasons the Men in Blue have preferred Thakur over the likes of Mohammed Shami and Ravichandran Ashwin is because they want to strengthen the lower order batting. But that hasn’t even been tested yet.

Also, Thakur has the knack of picking up wickets at key junctures of a game and breaking crucial partnerships. But his “Lord” touch has been missing in the World Cup so far.

It would be interesting to see whether India will stick to Thakur for the match against New Zealand or bring in a frontline bowler in Shami or Ashwin.