Amit Mishra’s five-for and half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma helped India thrash New Zealand by 190 runs in the final ODI. Chasing 270 runs, New Zealand collapsed for a mere 79 with Mishra returning figures of 5-18. India thus won the five-match series 3-2.

Earlier, half-centuries by Kohli and Rohit helped India post 269/6. Both Kohli and Rohit were off to slow starts before going for the big shots once they got their eye in.

Kohli scored 65 runs off 76 deliveries with two boundaries and a six while Rohit smashed five boundaries and three hits into the stands on his way to a 65-ball 70.

India vs New Zealand | Virat Kohli smashes 154 to give India victory

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With the One-Day International (ODI) cricket series between India and New Zealand squared at 2-2, skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be looking for a resounding victory to clinch the series in the fifth and final game on Saturday.

Going into the crucial summit clash at ACA-VDCA cricket stadium, the home side holds the advantage against the Kiwis as it has a much more experienced pool of cricketers.

At the start of the series, India were to play a total of eight ODIs — five against New Zealand and three against England — so the Indian squad will also look to get their combination right before the Champions Trophy next year.

Read India vs New Zealand | Virat Kohli smashes 154 to give India victory

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But the Indian plans could fail to fructify if rain — forecast for the next four days — plays spoil-sport. The weather office has forecast light to moderate rainfall at many places over coastal Andhra Pradesh during the period October 28 to 31.

The main concern for Dhoni, meanwhile, is the inconsistent batting, as his batsmen have not fired on all cylinders so far. Apart from Virat Kohli (293 runs in four matches) and to some extent Ajinkya Rahane (113 runs), no other batsmen performed under the demanding situations.

Dhoni will also hope that Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav will make the opportunity count after floundering in the previous matches.

India also have a relatively inexperienced pace bowling attack but the bowlers have exceeded expectations and the Anil Kumble-coached team will have high hopes again from seasoned leg-spinner Amit Mishra.

The Haryana bowler has been in fine form, taking 10 wickets in four matches, and with off-spinner Kedar, they have managed to control the run flow.

On the other hand, after sweeping India in the Second and Fourth ODI, New Zealand appear to be in fine fettle inspired by stellar performances by skipper Kane Williamson and opener Martin Guptill — the latter scored his only second fifty on this tour in the fourth ODI in Ranchi.

After a disappointing tour so far, the visitors are now looking desperate for success in at least one leg of the tour.

On a neutral wicket, the Kiwi bowlers who have impressed so far with their disciplined bowling will be looking to extract some turn. New Zealand opener Tom Latham has also said that the Visakhapatnam wicket is devoid of grass, which means it might offer turn.

New Zealand will also bank on their experience and the momentum which they got after winning two ODIs.

They can still clinch this series if their middle-order, including veteran batsman Ross Taylor, clicks in the crucial summit clash.

The visiting team will rely on pacers Trent Boult and Tim Southee and offie Mitchell Santner to keep check on the home batsmen.

Squads:

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav, Axar Patel, Amit Mishra, Hardik Pandya, Dhawal Kulkarni, Jayant Yadav, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (Captain), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, Luke Ronchi (wk), Corey Anderson, Tim Southee, Martin Guptill, B.J. Watling (wicket-keeper), Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner, James Neesham, Anton Devcich, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell.

IANS

Indian Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni lost his first match in his home-town as the hosts went down fighting by 19 runs, enabling New Zealand level the five-match ODI series at the JSCA International Stadium.

Chasing 261, tailenders Dhawal Kulkarni (25 not out) and Umesh Yadav (7) put up a record 10th wicket stand of 34 against the Kiwis but the equation was too steep for them. In the end, India were all out for 241 in 48.4 overs.

Pacer Tim Southee (3/40) and all-rounder James Neesham (2/38) wrecked India’s chase as the hosts had only opener Ajinkya Rahane (57) scoring a fifty, failing to once again convert his good start.

Virat Kohli (45) and Axar Patel (38) tried to hold fort but wickets tumbled around them with Dhoni (11) also falling cheaply to Neesham. The downslide started with Rohit Sharma (11) falling early to a peach of an outswinging delivery from Southee.

Rahane was looking good tonking the first six of the match off Boult in the 6th over. The right-hander carted for fours off Southee and Boult.

With the fielding restrictions lifted after the first Powerplay, the Kiwis introduced spin, bringing Santner in the 10th over. Three over later, Ish Sodhi joined Santner but the skills of the Indian batsmen scored almost everytime over their rivals’ bowling.

One late cut off Sodhi in the 14th over by Kohli summed it up as the hosts were having a ball with spin from both ends.

India vs New Zealand | Virat Kohli smashes 154 to give India victory

Just when the hosts were looking to cruise to an easy win with both Kohli and Rahane stitching a 79-run second wicket partnership at 5.04 per over, Sodhi sent the former packing.

Lunging at a poor delivery way outside off-stump, Kohli (45) looked to cut in vain giving an outside edge to Watling who took a fine catch.

Meanwhile, Rahane brought up his 16th fifty in the 25th over off Devcich as the tourists perhaps missed a trick by playing the left-armer who seemed to ease the pressure off Dhoni and Rahane at a time India could have been put in a spot of bother after the dismissal of Kohli.

But Neesham, in his second spell, did the damage getting Rahane LBW after the latter shuffled his stance and played across.

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Neesham was on the money again, this time castling the Indian captain with an incoming delivery which Dhoni missed all ends up with no foot movement whatsoever.

Manish Pandey and Axar Patel looked to put up a semblence of a fight before Pandey fell to a superb catch by Tom Latham at mid on with Southee picking up Kedar Jadhav plumb in front with his next delivery.

Amit Mishra and Axar Patel showed character for a 38-run eighth wicket stand until Mihra ran for a non-existent second run allowing Santer time to get him run out.

Patel followed suit in the same over, Boult yorking him from around the wicket. Kulkarni and Yadav tried their best but in the end the target proved too big for the lower orer batsmen.

Earlier, Martin Guptill top-scored for the tourists with 72 off 84 balls to set India a target of 261.

Williamson’s charges rued not putting more runs on the board after getting off to a flying start where they hit 12 boundaries in the first ten overs but only managed 13 in the next 40. Mishra returned with best figures of 2/42 getting the important scalps of Williamson and Neesham.

The Black Caps got off to a flying start and they were also helped by a missed catch. Amit Mishra grassed a difficult catch of Guptill (29) at mid-on in the seventh over, diving to his left but parrying his one-handed attempt towards long-on.

Patel outfoxed Latham (39) just when he and Guptill were looking good, with a slower one which the in-form opener swept to Ajinkya Rahane at short fine leg. Moments later, Guptill brought up his fifty in 56 balls. Guptill continued to score freely, racing to 72 in no time as the tourists reached 138/1 by the 26th over. 

Just when things were looking good for Guptill, Pandya snapped his stay with a short of length delivery that the right-hander edged to Dhoni behind the stumps.

Williamson met the same fate albeit a little earlier in his innings. Looking set at 41 off 58 deliveries laced with four fours, the right-hander fell prey to Mishra’s guile trying to cut the leggie and in the process nicking to Dhoni.

Neesham soon followed suit, this time Kohli taking a superb catch diving low to his left at cover off Mishra.

Watling and Taylor tried to up the ante but a swing of the bat from the wicket-keeper, who replaced Luke Ronchi, went only as far as Rohit Sharma who took a simple catch at fine leg.

Dhoni again accounted for Taylor soon after with the former collecting the ball in front of the stumps and then deflecting it back onto the stumps, all in one motion to catch the latter unaware.

Umesh picked up Anton Devcich as the Kiwis set India a target of 261 to wrap up the series. 

After taking a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-Day International series against New Zealand, the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Monday retained the same squad for the remaining two matches of the rubber.

Senior batsman Suresh Raina, who missed the first three matches due to viral fever has been ruled out of the remainder of the series.

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“The All-India Senior Selection Committee has decided to retain the same 14-member squad for the remaining two matches of the five-match ODI Trophy against New Zealand,” the BCCI said in a statement.

“Suresh Raina is still to regain his full fitness and has been ruled out of the remainder of the series,” it added.

On Sunday, riding on star batsman Virat Kohli’s unbeaten 154 and an equally effective 80 from skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India trounced the Kiwis by seven wickets in the third match at Mohali to go 2-1 up.

The Indians also won the first match at Dharamsala by six wickets before falling short by six runs in New Delhi.

Both the teams will now lock horns in the fourth game at Ranchi on Wednesday while the final game will be played at Visakhapatnam on October 29.

Squad:

Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Captain & wk), Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Jayant Yadav, Amit Mishra, Jasprit Bumrah, Dhawal Kulkarni, Umesh Yadav, Mandeep Singh, Kedar Jadhav.

IANS

Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and deputy Virat Kohli praised each other for their batting roles in scripting India’s comfortable seven-wicket win over New Zealand in the third One-Day International on Sunday.

Kohli scored an unbeaten 154 off just 134 deliveries to help India take a 2-1 lead in the five-match series. Dhoni (80) played second fiddle to Kohli, who scored his 26th ODI century, in a 151-run stand to chase down New Zealand’s total of 285 all out with 10 balls to spare.

“Batting with Virat helps; the reason being that both of us can hit boundaries and push for those singles and doubles,” Dhoni said after the match.

“Right from the start, he’s somebody who always wanted to improve and win games for India. He’s someone who has learnt a lot. He knows his strength well and executes his plan. If he can bat the way he’s batting, each and every individual will be happy. He’s not only made the fans proud, but also the family. That’s what you look to do.”

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Dhoni said he intentionally promoted himself up the batting order with the intention to play freely. He crossed 9000 runs in ODIs during his 80-run knock in India’s seven-wicket win.

“Have batted lower down for a long time. Out of the 280 games I’ve played, I think for 200 of them I have batted down. So the decision was to go up and then express myself. It’s important for me at this stage of my career,” he said.

“That’s what my thinking was – to go out and express myself,” Dhoni added.

Dhoni felt they should have won the second ODI at New Delhi but didn’t approach the match with any hangover of the unexpected defeat.

“We could have done better in the last game. But it’s important to have no hangover. We kept getting wickets in the middle to restrict them,” the 35-year-old said.

Kohli said it was important for him and Dhoni to build a partnership to lay the foundation for the victory.

“It was great to have MS at four. We could build a partnership and we scored 150 and then Manish Pandey also held his own and gave me the confidence,” he said.

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson also pointed to the Kohli-Dhoni partnership as the turning point of the match.

“It’s not always an easy chase, but MS and Virat played superbly. If you took early wickets, it makes it look like a good total. We did that but then those two came out, put on 150 and took the game away,” he said.

“Boys tried hard but it wasn’t to be. It’s part of the game, you want to catch them all but it doesn’t always happen.”

IANS

Virat Kohli scored an unbeaten 154 off just 134 deliveries as India beat New Zealand by seven wickets to take a 2-1 lead in the five-match One-Day International (ODI) cricket series here on Sunday.

Kohli, who scored his 26th ODI century, shared a 151-run stand with captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (80) as India chased down New Zealand’s total of 285 all out with 10 balls to spare.

Earlier, Tom Latham (61) and James Neesham (57) played pivotal roles in New Zealand’s total as they overcame a middle-order batting failure at the Punjab Cricket Association (PCA) Stadium.

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India v New Zealand

New Zealand:
Martin Guptill lbw b Yadav 27
Tom Latham c Pandya b Jadhav 61
Kane Williamson lbw b Jadhav 22
Ross Taylor st Dhoni b Mishra 44
Corey Anderson c Rahane b Jadhav 6
Luke Ronchi st Dhoni b Mishra 1
James Neesham c Jadhav b Yadav
Mitchell Santner c Kohli b Bumrah 7
Tim Southee b Yadav 13
Matt Henry not out 39
Trent Boult b Bumrah 1
Extras (w 7) 7

Total (in 49.4 overs) 285

Fall of wickets: 1-46 (Guptill, 6.4 overs), 2-80 (Williamson, 12.6), 3-153 (Taylor, 28.3), 4-160 (Anderson, 29.4), 5-161 (Ronchi, 30.2), 6-169 (Latham, 31.5), 7-180 (Santner, 34.2), 8-199 (Southee, 37.5), 9-283 (Neesham, 48.6), 10-285 (Boult, 49.4)

Bowling:
Umesh Yadav 10-0-75-3
Hardik Pandya 5-0-34-0
Jasprit Bumrah 9.4-0-52-2
Kedar Jadhav 5-0-29-3
Axar Patel 10-0-49-0
Amit Mishra 10-0-46-2

India Innings 289/3
Rohit Sharma lbw b Southee 13
Ajinkya Rahane c Santner b Henry 5
Virat Kohli not out 154
MS Dhoni c Ross Taylor b Henry 80
Manish Pandey not out 28

Extras 9 (b 0, lb 2, w 7, nb 0, p 0)
Total 289 (three wickets, 48.2 overs)

Fall of wickets: 13-1 (Ajinkya Rahane, 2.5 overs), 41-2 (Rohit Sharma, 8.4), 192-3 (MS Dhoni, 35.5)

Bowling:
Matt Henry 9.2-0-56-2
Trent Boult 10-0-73-0
Tim Southee 10-0-55-1
Mitchell Santner 10-0-43-0
James Neesham 9-0-60-0

Hardik Pandya’s (36) heroics couldn’t stop New Zealand from winning the 2nd ODI of the series by 6 runs in a thrilling finish. Kedar Jadhav (41) was the highest scorer for the hosts and skipper MS Dhoni contributed 39 runs in the team’s chase of 243-run target.

New Zealand scored 242/9 riding on skipper Kane Williamson’s fine century (118). With the win, New Zealand squared the five-match series 1-1. 

Known for their loud cheers and Bhangra whenever the Indian team plays at the Ferozshah Kotla stadium, the Delhi crowd went into a hush when home boy Virat Kohli was unexpectedly dismissed for a rare single-digit score but expressed delight that the second ODI between India and New Zealand turned out to be nailbiting.

Kohli’s failure at the Kotla in the second One Day International dampened the mood of the spectators, who wanted their local hero to score a century during India’s chase, with some even started returning home with his dismissal.

“We were here to watch a (Virat) Kohli innings… but somehow it wasn’t his day… just hope the others will take our team through,” said Ritesh, who along with his friends were on their way back home just after Kohli’s dismissal in the 12th over of India’s innings.

“He top scored in the first match at Dharamsala… and today, it was just an unlucky day… wish it didn’t happen in Delhi… but whoever bats must take India over the line,” another cricket buff said.

The usually vocal Kotla crowd went silent once Kohli was caught behind by Luke Ronchi followed by the quick dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane and Manish Pandey.

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But with Mahendra Singh Dhoni walking into the middle, the Delhi crowd were on their feet again with the hopes that Captain cool — one of the world’s best finishers — will take India over the line.
The Ranchi stumper didn’t disappoint and along with Kedar Jadhav brought up a 66-run fifth wicket stand before the pair parted ways. 

Despite Hardik Pandya lifting the spirits with some late order heroics, the hosts fell short by six runs in the second match. Irrespective of the outcome of the match, some fans were seen dancing to the tunes of various popular Bollywood numbers.

Some even were delighted at the match going down to the wire rather than being a dull one-sided affair. “I am happy that finally New Zealand showed they are capable of winning… this is their first win in the series… they were the better team on the day… we will win the series though,” college student Raman, who came with his friends, said.

The following is the scoreboard of the second One-Day International (ODI) between India and New Zealand at the Ferozeshah Kotla:

Scoreboard

India won the toss and chose to field

New Zealand 242/9

Martin Guptill b Umesh 0
Tom Latham lbw b K Jadhav 46
Kane Williamson c Rahane b Mishra 118
Ross Taylor c Rohit b Mishra 21
Corey Anderson lbw b A Mishra 21
Luke Ronchi c Dhoni b Axar 6
Mitchell Santner not out 9
Anton Devcich c Axar b Bumrah 7
Tim Southee b Bumrah 0
Matt Henry b Bumrah 6
Trent Boult not out 5

Extras 3 (b 0, lb 0, w 3, nb 0, p 0)
Total 242 (9 wickets, 50 overs)

Fall of Wickets: 0-1 (Martin Guptill, 0.2 overs), 120-2 (Tom Latham, 20.3), 158-3 (Ross Taylor, 30.6), 204-4 (Corey Anderson, 40.5), 213-5 (Kane Williamson, 42.4), 216-6 (Luke Ronchi, 43.3), 224-7 (Anton Devcich, 45.1), 225-8 (Tim Southee, 45.5), 237-9 (Matt Henry, 49.2)

Bowlers
Umesh Yadav 9-0-42-1, Hardik Pandya 9-0-45-0, Jasprit Bumrah 10-0-35-3, Axar Patel 10-0-49-1, Amit Mishra 10-0-60-3, Kedar Jadhav 2-0-11-1

India

Rohit Sharma c Ronchi b Boult 15
Ajinkya Rahane c Anderson b Southee 28
Virat Kohli c Ronchi b Santner 9
Manish Pandey run out 19
MS Dhoni c and b Southee 39
Kedar Jadhav c Ronchi b Henry 41
Axar Patel c Santner b Guptill 17
Hardik Pandya c Santner b Boult 36
Amit Mishra c sub (Doug Bracewell) b Guptill 1
Umesh Yadav not out 18
Jasprt Bumrah b Southee 0

Extras (lb 5, w 8) 13
Total (all out; 49.3 overs) 236

Fall of wickets: 1-21 (Sharma, 7.1 overs), 2-40 (Kohli, 11.4), 3-72 (Rahane, 18.4), 4-73 (Pandey, 19.2), 5-139 (Jadhav, 31.1), 6-172 (Dhoni, 39.3), 7-180 (Patel, 40.1), 8-183 (Mishra, 40.5), 9-232 (Pandya, 48.5), 10-236 (49.3)

Bowling

Matt Henry 10-0-51-1, Trent Boult 10-2-25-2, Tim Southee 9-0-49-2, A.P. Devcich 9-0-48-0, Mitchell Santner 10-0-49-1, Martin Guptill 1-0-6-2

Brimming with confidence after a convincing victory in the first One-Day International (ODI), limited-overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni will eye another big win when favourites India take on New Zealand in the second match of the five-match rubber at the Ferozeshah Kotla Stadium.

With the conditions at the Ferozeshah Kotla favouring the spinners, the hosts will bank on their last ODI performance where Kedar Jadhav and experienced leggie Amit Mishra ran through the Kiwi’s middle and lower order.

It is also expected that Dhoni will not make any changes to the playing eleven as each player seemed like complementing each other in the last match.

Star batsman Suresh Raina will miss the second ODI against New Zealand as the southpaw is still recovering from a bout of viral fever.

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In the batting department, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey and Dhoni had decent starts in the last game and are expected to score big runs in the second game.

The bowling department has settled down into a nice rhythm as pacers and spinners chipped in with vital breakthroughs when needed.

Sent into bat in the last ODI, New Zealand would have been disappointed to be bowled out with 37 balls still remaining in their innings so skipper Kane Williamson will likely make some changes in the top order.

Apart from Tom Latham, batsmen Martin Guptil, Ross Taylor and Williamson looked clueless against the Indian bowlers and will have to come good if they want to match India at Ferozeshah stadium.

In the bowling department, Pacer Trent Boult will likely be included in the squad to support Tim Southee to trouble the Indian batting line-up. Spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi had also found it hard to bowl on the flat Dharamsala track. But on the Ferozeshah wicket both spinners will like to make their case stronger as conditions there will support the spinners.

The squads:
India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain and wicket-keeper), Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Rohit Sharma, Manish Pandey, Jayant Yadav, Axar Patel, Jasprit Bumrah, Kedar Jhadav, Mandeep Singh, Amit Mishra, Dhawal Kulkarni, Umesh Yadav, Hardik Pandya.

New Zealand: Kane Williamson (captain), Corey Anderson, Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Anton Devcich, Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Matt Henry, James Neesham, Luke Ronchi (wicket-keeper), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, BJ Watling, Tim Southee.

IANS

Hardik Pandya picking up the man of the match award in his One-Day International (ODI) debut during the first match against New Zealand, India coach Anil Kumble is confident that the all-rounder will bring in much needed balance to the team.

Pandya returned figures of 3/31 in the first match of the five-ODI series in Dharamsala last Sunday as India restricted New Zealand to a total of 190 runs.

Kumble asserted that such an encouraging performance on his ODI debut will give Pandya the confidence to perform well in the second match of the series as well.

“He is someone who obviously gives us the right balance because he can bowl. He can not only bowl, he bowls at a pretty decent pace as well. It was nice that he really bowled well in the first game with the new ball. That was something that Dhoni wants him to try and it was heartening that he got the man of the match in his first game.

“So it was something that I am sure will give him a lot of confidence. All-rounders who can run in and bowl quick and bat are certainly an asset. He is someone who will be closely monitored and we will see how he progresses. He certainly has the potential. He has shown his potential in the limited opportunities that he has got,” Kumble told reporters here on Wednesday.

“As someone who has just started his international career we do not want to put pressure on him by giving him specific plans as to what is expected of him. He is someone who likes the freedom. That is what we have given to someone like Hardik.

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“We tell him to bowl freely and not worry about getting hit. We don’t tell him to bowl in one particular spot. Even with his batting, he has the freedom to go and bat freely whatever be the match situation,” the India coach added.

Kumble, who refused to divulge the Indian playing XI, said the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here will be suitable for batting.

“It should be a good surface for one-day cricket. It should be a good surface for batting. As far as (team) combination goes, we still have time. We will let you know tomorrow,” he said.

Kumble is also pleased with opener Ajinkya Rahane’s form and asserted that the Maharashtra right-hander will continue to open the innings in the near future.

“At the moment Rahane certainly fits in at the top of the order. That is something we will persist with. It does give us an option once Shikhar (Dhawan) and K.L. Rahul are fit,” Kumble said.

“We have a lot of time before the next ODI series against England. In this ODI series, Rahane will open the batting. Looking at the Champions Trophy we will then decide who is our opening combination.”

The former leg-spinner also said that although flexibility in the batting remains a target in limited-overs cricket, Manish Pandey is being looked upon as a potential fixture at the number four slot.

“We have a couple of options at that spot. Manish (Pandey) is someone who has done really well in the recent past. He started off well even in Dharamsala. Manish is someone who has shown promise and the performances to back it as well,” Kumble remarked.

“He comes into the Indian team with a lot of experience in domestic cricket. Its not like he is someone like Hardik Pandya who is new at this level. He is certainly the number four we are looking into,” he added.

“But in ODI’s I don’t think is is necessary that you should have some positions fixed. It all depends on the situation. You could see someone else walking in as well.”

The 46-year-old also asserted that India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will continue to bat in his present position as he has the required experience to finish off a chase.

“It all depends on match situations. While chasing you need more experience. As far as MS is concerned, he has enough experience. He has shown over the years that he has enough capabilities as a batsman,” Kumble insisted.

“We don’t need to really look close at giving him time to settle in. You will probably see a different batting order depending on different situations.”

IANS

Team India coach Anil Kumble is pleased with opener Ajinkya Rahane’s form and asserted that the Maharashtra right-hander will continue to open the innings in the near future.

“At the moment Rahane certainly fits in at the top of the order. That is something we will persist with. It does give us an option once Shikhar (Dhawan) and K.L. Rahul are fit,” Kumble said. “We have a lot of time before the next ODI series against England. In this ODI series, Rahane will open the batting. Looking at the Champions Trophy we will then decide who is our opening combination.”

The former leg-spinner also said that although flexibility in the batting remains a target in limited-overs cricket, Manish Pandey is being looked upon as a potential fixture at the number four slot.

“We have a couple of options at that spot. Manish (Pandey) is someone who has done really well in the recent past. He started off well even in Dharamsala. Manish is someone who has shown promise and the performances to back it as well,” Kumble remarked.

“As someone who has just started his international career we do not want to put pressure on him by giving him specific plans as to what is expected of him. He is someone who likes the freedom. That is what we have given to someone like Hardik.

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Kumble backs Pandya to continue good form

With Hardik Pandya picking up the man of the match award in his One-Day International (ODI) debut during the first match against New Zealand, India coach Anil Kumble is confident that the all-rounder will bring in much needed balance to the team.

Pandya returned figures of 3/31 in the first match of the five-ODI series in Dharamsala last Sunday as India restricted New Zealand to a total of 190 runs.

Kumble asserted that such an encouraging performance on his ODI debut will give Pandya the confidence to perform well in the second match of the series as well. “He is someone who obviously gives us the right balance because he can bowl. He can not only bowl, he bowls at a pretty decent pace as well. It was nice that he really bowled well in the first game with the new ball. That was something that Dhoni wants him to try and it was heartening that he got the man of the match in his first game. 

“So it was something that I am sure will give him a lot of confidence. All-rounders who can run in and bowl quick and bat are certainly an asset. He is someone who will be closely monitored and we will see how he progresses. He certainly has the potential. He has shown his potential in the limited opportunities that he has got,” Kumble told reporters. 

Kumble, who refused to divulge the Indian playing XI, said the Ferozeshah Kotla ground here will be suitable for batting. “It should be a good surface for one-day cricket. It should be a good surface for batting. As far as (team) combination goes, we still have time. We will let you know tomorrow,” he said.

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli

Kumble on Dhoni

The 46-year-old also asserted that India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will continue to bat in his present position as he has the required experience to finish off a chase.

“It all depends on match situations. While chasing you need more experience. As far as MS is concerned, he has enough experience. He has shown over the years that he has enough capabilities as a batsman,” Kumble insisted.

“We don’t need to really look close at giving him time to settle in. You will probably see a different batting order depending on different situations.”