HomeNewsCT 2017, warm-up: IND take on NZ to acclimatise with unfamiliar conditions
ICC Champions Trophy 2017, warm-up: India take on Kiwis to acclimatise with unfamiliar conditions
ICC Champions Trophy 2017: India will play both their warm-up games at The Oval, London before commencing their campaign against Pakistan at Edgbaston.
With Indian Premier League (IPL) 2017 edition done and dusted, the eight edition of ICC Champions Trophy awaits us. Top 8 ODI teams lock horns in England and Wales. Defending champions India have a humongous task ahead. After all, it is rightly said that retaining the trophy is much difficult than winning it. They begin their campaign against arch-rivals, Pakistan, on June 4. Nonetheless, before the tournament kicks off, they will play two warm-up games in a bid to get their team combination in balance and acclimatise with the conditions on offer. Full Cricket Scorecard, India vs New Zealand, 3rd warm-up game, ICC Champions Trophy 2017, The Oval
India play New Zealand in their first warm-up clash on May 28. The match will be hosted by The Oval, London. Interestingly, India are destined to play their last two league games at the same venue in the main draw of the tournament. This is a vital chance to get accustomed with the conditions, turf and prepare for the near-future challenges. The purpose of the warm-up games are to give a fair chance to all sides and India will bank upon these opportunities ahead of the mega event.
Batting test: Rohit Sharma’s last ODI appearance was in October 28, 2016. Interestingly, he played his last game versus New Zealand and will commence his comeback against the same line-up. He will be eager to get some runs under his belt before the main draw. The onus will also lie on last edition’s highest run-scorer Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli, Yuvraj Singh and MS Dhoni. It will be interesting to see whether Ajinkya Rahane and Dinesh Karthik get a look-in these games. If they do well, India will be confident of trying them out in case their main weapons falter. CT17: Yuvraj skips practice session due to fever ahead of warm-up clash vs NZ
Bowling: The likes of Ravichandran Ashwin and Mohammed Shami have also been off the field for long in limited overs. Ashwin’s last ODI series was against England early in 2017, whereas Shami played his last 50-over game in ICC World Cup 2015. Umesh Yadav and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will spearhead the pace attack, and Jasprit Bumrah will take on the field for the first time in England.
It will all boil down to getting enough match practice and striking a balanced outfit ahead of India’s much-awaited clash against Pakistan at Edgbaston.
India’s young squad of 2013 enjoyed their warm-up matches and, as a result, did not bog down in the main event. Hence, Kohli’s men would be aware of the pros and cons of such encounters and not take them lightly.
Kiwis already in 50-over mode: On the contrary, New Zealand were one of the first few teams to get into the 50-over format mode amidst IPL hullabaloo. Majority of their squad – James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ros Taylor, Tom Latham, Luke Ronchi and Corey Anderson participated in the recently concluded Tri-Nation series in Ireland. Regular skipper, Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and their pace spearheads, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, will play their first game after a while.
Overall, it remains to be seen how both sides will use their resources. Match practice, bowlers into the groove and settling the batting order will be amongst the top priorities.
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