Sooryavanshi storm brewing as India, New Zealand gear up for another run fest
“I was walking down the river yesterday, and a few Kiwi fans asked me, ‘Is the 15-year-old kid playing tomorrow?’. He’s warmed the bench long enough; you don’t wanna lose his form.”
These were supposedly the words of Ravi Shastri during the first T20I as everyone wanted a piece of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in action. He has been protected by coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer, who seem to know his worth and believe that patience is the key. But the Indian fans have been impatient, and now their wish is finally being fulfilled.
Sooryavanshi will be back in the Indian team colours for the second match of the series in Christchurch. The boy wonder didn’t play any of the matches in the home series against Afghanistan and the West Indies and has been more of an overseas expert so far. It did seem like the New Zealand tour would have also seen him continue his education with the squad, but Ishan Kishan’s injury has opened the door for him to return.
And the numbers explain why there is so much hype around Sooryavanshi. The 15-year-old has scored 246 runs in eight T20Is with an average of 30.75 with a strike-rate of 186.36.
With the first match being a high-scoring thriller, fans will be expecting Sooryavanshi to play a major role in the outcome of the contest on Saturday. The first match was an indication that this Indian team won’t be backing down from their apporach of attacking from the get-go.
India scored 93 for the loss of no wickets before the powerplay was done in their chase of 226. Sooryavanshi coming into this side will augur well for that mantra as he seems to have just one gear he is always in when it comes to T20 cricket.
But the hype has been tempered by the Indian management, who want to ensure that the youngster isn’t overexposed.
“He is very talented and has a bright, bright future ahead. He will learn a lot of things once he starts playing. But, initially, I felt there was a lot of hype about (his spot in 11),” said Sitanshu Kothak.
“I genuinely felt it is not good for the player also. For a young 15-16 years old boy, everyone is saying that he should play and he is not getting the space. He is too young.
“It is sad and it is sad for other players also who are performing. People related to cricket, they should think about it. Whether they are actually helping, or just to create something, they are doing something.”
Whatever happens on Saturday, Indian fans will expect Sooryavanshi to send the ball to all parts of the ground.
NEW ZEALAND READY TO MAKE IT A SLUGFEST
When you look at the openers of New Zealand, it does seem like they can kill any contest with just brute force. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert is one of the best opening duo in the business and they put India under pressure early.
Often the middle-order has lacked the power that the Blackcaps have wanted in recent times but the first match was glimpse of what they can do. Glenn Phillips scored 82 off 40 balls and Bevon Jacobs chipped in with a top cameo.
But New Zealand’s worry will be the form of Daryl Mitchell. He has often been the thorn on the side of India in ODIs, but batting in T20Is, especially at No.3 doesn’t seem like a natural fit for him.
However, the fight from New Zealand is what that has made them a tough side to beat. When people do write them off, the Blackcaps have the knack of proving everyone wrong and then securing the win.
They showed that in the first match, where despite being hit early on, Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell were able to make the contest a tough one for India.
This Indian team does have some issues in the middle-order with Tilak Varma and Shreyas Iyer often getting stuck. While there is a new finisher in town in Naman Dhir, New Zealand will be backing themselves.
IND VS NZ 2ND T20I: TEAM NEWS
With Sooryavanshi expected to replace Kishan, India could pair him with Abhishek Sharma at the top, pushing Sanju Samson down to the third spot. This arrangement has been India’s preferred option whenever all three have featured together, although it could hand New Zealand an early opportunity to exploit a potential weakness.
The visitors could turn to off-spinners Michael Bracewell or Glenn Phillips during the powerplay to challenge India’s left-handed opening combination. India have struggled against this particular match-up before, including during the opening phase of the T20 World Cup earlier this year.
Beyond the potential change at the top, India are unlikely to make further adjustments to their batting order. Axar Patel could, however, be moved up the order if India need a batter capable of countering spin during the middle overs.
IND VS NZ 2ND T20I: CHRISTCHURCH PITCH AND WEATHER REPORT
Dew could be a major factor in Saturday’s encounter and the remaining matches of the series, with all games scheduled for an 8pm start. This is likely to influence the toss, with captains expected to prefer bowling first to avoid defending a total under increasingly difficult conditions.
However, the team batting first may find some encouragement in the surface, as the match will be played on the same pitch used on Thursday. Any wear from the opening game could offer a different challenge for the batters and bowlers.
Christchurch is expected to enjoy clear skies and sunshine during the day, although the mercury is forecast to dip into the low teens Celsius by the time play gets underway.
IND VS NZ 2ND T20I: PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
India: Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer (capt), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Mayank Yadav
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson
– Ends
