On a Wednesday in Rajkot, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, New Zealand's captain Michael Bracewell made the choice to send India in to bat, a decision that places his side in the familiar position of chasing a target under the evening dew. India comes into the match already holding the advantage after its four-wicket win in Vadodara, and a single injury has reshaped its lineup as the veteran all-rounder Washington Sundar drops out with cracked ribs. The contest is one of many in the long ritual of bat and ball, where a team that needs to win to stay alive must read both the pitch and the sky.
New Zealand Wins Toss, Opts to Bowl First Against India in Second ODI in Rajkot
New Zealand needs a win to keep the series alive heading into Indore
Mark
So Bracewell wins the toss and bowls. Why does that matter?
Mimi
The conditions point that way. The pitch is expected to be good for batting, and dew in the evening should help whoever chases.
Mark
And India is already up 1-0.
Mimi
Yes, they won in Vadodara by four wickets. New Zealand has to win here to keep the series alive going to Indore on Sunday.
Luke
Careful, though. The pitch and dew points are forecasts, not results. The report says a high score is anticipated, not that it happened.
Mark
Fair. What about the team changes?
Mimi
One each. New Zealand swaps wrist spinner Adithya Ashok for left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox. India loses Washington Sundar to a rib injury and plays Nitish Reddy.
Luke
Worth noting that Sundar is out of the series, and Ayush Badoni has been called up to the squad. But the report doesn't say whether Badoni will play.
Mark
Is Bracewell's reasoning for bowling first stated?
Luke
No. The dew explanation is a reasonable link, but the report only gives the decision, not his reasons.
Mimi
So the match itself is the thing to watch, and the report ends before the first ball.
O Pulso
- New Zealand must win here or watch the series slip away before the decider in Indore on Sunday.
- Bracewell chose to bowl first, betting that evening dew will make the chase easier than the first innings.
- Washington Sundar's rib injury forces India to bring in Nitish Reddy, reshaping its attack on the eve of a crucial match.
- Rajkot's batter-friendly pitch promises a high-scoring contest, with the outcome likely to hinge on who handles the dew best.
On a Wednesday in Rajkot, at the Niranjan Shah Stadium, New Zealand's captain Michael Bracewell made the choice to send India in to bat, a decision that places his side in the familiar position of chasing a target under the evening dew. India comes into the match already holding the advantage after its four-wicket win in Vadodara, and a single injury has reshaped its lineup as the veteran all-rounder Washington Sundar drops out with cracked ribs. The contest is one of many in the long ritual of bat and ball, where a team that needs to win to stay alive must read both the pitch and the sky.
At the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and chose to field first in the second one-day international against India. It is a three-match series, and India already leads it 1-0 after a four-wicket win in Vadodara.
Both sides made one change. New Zealand brought in left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox in place of wrist spinner Adithya Ashok, altering the kind of spin available to them. India's change was forced: off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar injured his ribs in the first match and is out of the rest of the series, with Nitish Reddy taking his place in the XI.
The pitch is expected to favour batters, and evening dew should help the side chasing, which suits Bracewell's decision. New Zealand needs a win to keep the series alive; India can seal it with one. The decider, if needed, is in Indore on Sunday.
At the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell won the toss and chose to bowl first against India in the second one-day international of a three-match series.
India arrives at this match ahead. It won the opening ODI in Vadodara by four wickets and leads the series 1-0. The decider, if it comes to that, will be played in Indore on Sunday.
Both teams made a single change. New Zealand brought in Jayden Lennox, a left-arm spin all-rounder, and left out the wrist spinner Adithya Ashok. The swap keeps New Zealand's spin options in the side but changes the type of spin on offer.
India's change was forced. Off-spin all-rounder Washington Sundar hurt his ribs in the first ODI and has been ruled out of the rest of the series. Batter Ayush Badoni was called into the squad for the remaining two matches, but the player who takes Sundar's place in the XI is the all-rounder Nitish Reddy.
India's lineup is Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, K.L. Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna.
New Zealand goes in with Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay, Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Jayden Lennox, Kristian Clarke and Kyle Jamieson.
Conditions are expected to be kind to batters. The pitch at Rajkot should be batter-friendly, and a high score is anticipated. Evening dew is expected to help the side batting second, which fits with Bracewell's decision to field first and chase.
New Zealand needs a win to keep the series alive heading into Indore on Sunday, while India can secure the series with one.
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