Issues to iron out for NZ, India as T20s commence

WELLINGTON: The significance of a Twenty20 International in a World Cup year might not be too evident at the outset, but India and New Zealand will see it as an opportunity all the same when they walk out for the first T20 on Wednesday (today).

India dominated the One-day Internationals for the most part but there are still a couple of areas that can do with some improvement.

The top order needs runs. Without Virat Kohli, the captain, there’s a budding sense of fragility within the Indian batting ranks. In the last two ODIs, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan were dismissed for paltry scores, and struggled to give the middle order the foundation they usually do.

That created all sorts of problems, and it is certainly easier for the bowlers knowing they’ll be facing debutant Shubman Gill after those two rather than the imposing figure of Kohli. While the middle order crumbled in the fourth ODI, it stood up in the final clash, and the question now is whether it can do so in the shorter format as well, with far fewer overs to settle down.

India will also be curious about the form of Gill. The 19-year-old is highly rated but he hasn’t yet been able to perform, with scores of 9 and 7 in two ODIs.For New Zealand, the manner of the loss in the ODIs is something they will want to forget.

India coasted to 3-0 before quite visibly taking their foot off the gas – it is only then the home side managed to fight back. And still, they lost 4-1.Their confidence will have taken a beating, and New Zealand will be keen to fix that in the T20Is.

With an injury to Martin Guptill, the back problem that sidelined him for the final ODI has ruled him out of the T20Is as well, the onus will be on Colin Munro, who was underwhelming in the ODIs, to rediscover his form.

New Zealand, however, have named a fine replacement for Guptill. Jimmy Neesham, the all-rounder, has been in terrific form recently, and it needed a canny piece of work from MS Dhoni behind the stumps to stop his assault in the final ODI. He will look to make the most of his purple patch in the T20Is as well.

In good news for New Zealand, India have a terrible record in T20Is against them. In the eight overall matches they have played, New Zealand have won six.