After the thrilling T20I that was played between India and New Zealand on Wednesday, the two teams are ready to take on each other in the five-match ODI series that starts from February 12 at the John Davies Oval in Queenstown. This will be the last ODI series for both the teams before the ICC Women’s World Cup that will be played in New Zealand from March 4 to April 3.
Head to Head
India and New Zealand have played 48 ODIs against each other since 1978. New Zealand have dominated the duel winning 28 matches, while India have managed to win 19. One match ended in a tie.
Squads
India: Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur (vc), Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Deepti Sharma, Richa Ghosh (wicket-keeper), Sneh Rana, Pooja Vastrakar, Meghna Singh, Renuka Singh Thakur, Taniya Bhatia (wicket-keeper), Rajeshwari Gayakwad, Poonam Yadav, Jhulan Goswami
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Amy Satterthwaite(vc), Suzie Bates, Lauren Down, Maddy Green, Brooke Halliday, Hayley Jensen, Fran Jonas, Jess Kerr, Melie Kerr, Frankie Mackay, Rosemary Mair, Katey Martin, Hannah Rowe, Lea Tahuhu
Players to watch out for
Mithali Raj:
The captain of the Indian team is the highest run-getter in the history of women’s cricket across formats. With 7391 runs in 199 ODI innings, the right handed batter averages 51.32. She has seven ODI centuries and 59 ODI half-centuries. She will be the key to India’s batting.
Jhulan Goswami:
The veteran right arm speedster is the leading wicket-taker in WODIs. She has 240 wickets in 191 innings at an average of 21.59 and economy of 3.31. She has accounted for two five-wicket hauls and seven four-wicket hauls in her illustrious career. She will be the leader of India’s bowling attack.
Lea Tahuhu:
She was the player of the match against India in the one-off T20I that was played on Wednesday. She is a competitive cricketer, who is a right arm seamer and a right handed batter. In the current team, she is the top ODI wicket-taker with 82 wickets in 74 innings. She can bat in the middle order and play the role of a finisher.
Suzie Bates:
This right-handed batter of New Zealand is the top run-getter in the ODI format for the White Ferns. She has over 4605 ODI runs, including 10 centuries and 27 half-centuries. She has a healthy average of more than 40 in 124 innings. She also has 75 ODI wickets, bowling right-arm quick.
Pitch
Prior to this first ODI between India and New Zealand, only one WODI has been played at this venue. It was played between Australia and New Zealand in 2010. Australia won that match chasing 229. More than 450 runs were scored in the match. The conditions seem good for batting, however, it is important to note that a women’s international game will be played after a decade. Bowlers will have to pitch in the right areas consistently. The cloudy conditions may work in their favour.
Weather
The weather is expected to be cloudy with a few interim showers. The average temperature through the course of the match will be around 16 degrees Celsius. The wind will blow from the south.
Fantasy playing XI
Katey Martin, Shafali Verma, Mithali Raj, Yastika Bhatia, Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Deepti Sharma, Sophie Devine, Jess Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Jhulan Goswami
Match details
Date: February 12, 2022
Time: 3.30am IST
Venue: John Davies Oval, Queenstown
Live streaming: Amazon Prime
I am a former cricketer having represented Mumbai University at All India University level. I was a part of MCA probables for the U-19 and U-23 age group. I have been an avid cricket writer for the last five years. Currently I am pursuing my Ph.D from IIT Bombay.