IND vs NZ: India eye 2-0 lead as Wellington weather threatens second ODI

Having taken a 1-0 lead with a five-wicket victory in the opening ODI against New Zealand in Auckland on Wednesday, India will look to double their advantage when the teams meet in the second match at the Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Saturday.However, their bid to take a 2-0 lead could run into an unpredictable opponent - Wellington’s notorious weather. Cold, blustery conditions forced India to cancel practice on Friday, while New Zealand trained indoors. Saturday’s forecast is cloudy and windy, with rain expected, raising the prospect of another shortened game.India’s biggest positives from the opener, apart from Virat Kohli’s fluent 74 off 51 balls, were the performances of pacers Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj in helpful conditions. With Jasprit Bumrah rested, Prasidh Krishna injured and Mohammed Siraj involved in the second India ‘A’ match against New Zealand ‘A’, the trio made full use of the swing, seam and bounce on offer at Eden Park.Arshdeep took 4/70, Kamboj, the Player of the Match, returned 2/22 from 10 overs and Brar claimed 3/44 in 9.2 overs. Siraj’s return could push Auqib Nabi, who went wicketless for 33 in six overs, out of the XI.Other changes appear unlikely, with Shubman Gill and KL Rahul set to leave the squad after the third ODI. Kuldeep Yadav may have to wait, with Axar Patel likely to retain his spot because of his batting abilities.Rohit Sharma, dismissed for a rare duck in the first ODI, will look to get among the runs. Kohli, in excellent rhythm, will aim to build on his Auckland innings in what is expected to be his final tour of New Zealand.New Zealand fast bowler Blair Tickner said the hosts were relishing the challenge of bowling to Kohli.“He’s obviously going all right. With a small total, he came out and put pressure on us. We still back ourselves and our skills to get him out. It’s an awesome opportunity to play against Kohli,” Tickner said.In the rain-hit first ODI, New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs before India chased a revised target of 144 in 22.4 overs via DLS.Less than a fortnight ago, Abhishek Sharma smashed a 38-ball 113 at the same venue to help India chase 199 and seal a 3-0 lead in the T20I series.Hnry Stadium is usually battingfriendly but this time, the cold and wind ensures assistance for the pacers. New Zealand are likely to test India’s batters with the short ball again after Shreyas Iyer and Axar looked uncomfortable in Auckland.“We saw last year against England that there’s a little bit in the wicket. As a bowler, I’m looking for extra bounce and a bit of nip off the wicket,” he said.Conway outThe hosts suffered a setback before the series when Devon Conway was ruled out with concussion after a training collision with teammate Matt Henry. Nicky Kelly has replaced Conway, while Henry has been cleared to play.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.