World Cup: Unbeaten India take on New Zealand in clash of titans

The Rohit Sharma led Indian team, which is so far unbeaten in the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup, take on New Zealand, who will also been keen to continue their winning streak. Meenakshi Rao previews the marquee clash, which will be played at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala.

Dharamsala (Himachal Pradesh): A scintillating contest awaits the nippy Sunday night at the picturesque Dharamsala stadium where Rohit Sharma and his band of versatile warriors will launch a duel under the snowclad mountains to correct some worrying history that has festered against New Zealand, especially in World Cups.

Last India won against New Zealand was 20 years ago in 2003 in the rainbow nation of South Africa. Many contests and cricketing generations have crisscrossed stadia around the world and India today are no rising, but a towering team of the game, having won a World Cup at home in the interim. But that too, did not record a win against the Kiwis as India did not play them in the 2007, 2011 and 2015 editions.

It was only in 2019 that India crossed paths with New Zealand and were swung out of the semifinal at Trent Bridge. That encounter broke a billion hearts, including Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s, who took his longest, loneliest walk back to the pavilion with India falling 18 runs short of victory and a what was being considered a sure shot ticket to the Lord’s dressing room from where Kapil Dev had uncorked the champagne way back in 1983.

All this, and the absence of key man Hardik Pandya, will be creasing the brow of the Indian skipper and the management when India meet a robust Kiwi squad in a bid to add a fern in their cap and make some points in the process – not just on the tally where India are below the Kiwis on run rate but, more importantly, on the heart and soul of the hosts’ remaining campaign.

On paper, New Zealand have a 5-3 advantage over India, topping it up with the unforgettable pain given at Trent Bridge. In the 2023 edition, both come into the game with four victories on the trot, India surviving a pressure-soaked match against Australia in their opener, and New Zealand getting out of a tight corner against Afghanistan. While India will be missing Hardik Pandya, New Zealand have lost their key batter Kane Williamson to thumb fracture.

Hardik Pandya is Rohit Sharma’s key seamer, who has been making a positive difference to trajectories. Dharamsala, known for its pace friendly wicket, would have been an ideal showstopper by Hardik Pandya in the middle overs. It will now be a difficult choice for Rohit Sharma to choose between Shardul Thakur and Mohammed Shami or Mohammed Shami and Surya Kumar Yadav in place of Shardul Thakur and Hardik Pandya, the latter option looking more viable to a layman.

The snow-topped Dhaula Dhar range encasing Dharamsala may be beautiful but it also contributes to the dreaded dew factor under the lights. So, winning a toss would be as crucial as making the right choice of replacements for Rohit Sharma.

“Dew is a massive factor here in Dharamshala. At 5 pm last evening, and there was some dew starting to form. We'll come up with the decision to bowl or bat today and tomorrow. Dew is going to play a factor at some point so we will try to deal with it as best we can,” Kiwi skipper Tom Latham said earlier in the day.

But as Latham also said, playing good cricket for both innings is the most crucial winning tool for any team, a fact that has remained unsaid thus far as it serves only to make the obvious more clear.

Over and above the circumstances that are mostly out of the hands of any skipper, India are in the best form of their life with Rohit Sharma, their red-hot batting maestro in full flow, and legends of the bat like Virat Kohli and K L Rahul backing him up all the way to No 8, just in case, the planned opening blitzkrieg gets struck by a furniture malfunction.

If Rohit Sharma is enjoying his role of an aggressor with a stable partner in Shubman Gill on the other end giving great starts to the Indian innings, Virat Kohli has shown an incredible blend of tenacity and grounded perseverance and K L Rahul, the quietude of a stealth bomber. The solid troika has, so far, not allowed the Indian middle order and its perceived vulnerability to be tested and one sees no reason that the gameplan will change.

Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravindra Jadeja, and hopefully Mohammed Shami, are arms to fear and fathom even if the pitch is flat and unhappening. Add to this, the bold and the plucky dives fielders like K L Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja have been taking to limit a racing or rising ball, and it would seem tomorrow is the night when India will finally get over their long-standing Kiwi 'locha'.

No easy task though with Tom Latham emphasizing that he and his men are kings of quick adaptability to conditions, are sorted playing their very own brand of cricket, having quicks like Tim Southee now available for selection and one Mr Mitchell Santner hitting a purple patch turning fortunes with a guile so avidly envied in cricketing circuits.

All the above is equal to a heart in the mouth close contest as temperatures will drop to 17 degrees but the heat of the moment will keep the fully packed stands alive to the blue and black moment!