FANTASY
Follow UsUnlike yesteryears, Eden Park has been a good batting surface in the recent time. Since 2020, albeit only one ODI have been played, the venue has seen some high-scoring encounter. Incidentally, the last ODI at the venue was between these two sides – India and New Zealand – with the fixture ending in a disappointment for the Men in Blue.
It was a series that India would rather not want to remember, losing it 0-3, their first whitewash in a long time. Two years is a long time, and India walk into this series yet again as firm favourites, having beaten the BlackCaps 1-0 in the preceding three-match T20I series.
Ground details
The only ODI that has been played in the last two years at the venue has been the fixture between India and New Zealand. It was a peculiar fixture, with India failing to chase 274, having got off to a flier of a start. Unfortunately, we do not possess a whole lot of data sample at the venue since 2018 even.
Pace has been the way to go, with 11 wickets out of the total 15 being picked by the pacers, who average 5.5 wickets/innings. On the other hand, the spinners have a marginally better economy rate (4.7) to the pacers but have only picked up four wickets. Nearly 80 overs of pace have been bowled here while only 20 has been spin.
Top-order batters do have a significant advantage at the venue, with an average of 30.7 and a strike-rate of 86.8, with 212 runs across both the innings.
Suggested Team
Captaincy Suggestions
For small leagues: Shreyas Iyer (c), Tom Latham (vc)
For grand leagues: Sanju Samson (c), Matt Henry (vc)
Stats that matter
- Top-order batters do have a significant advantage at the venue, with an average of 30.7 and a strike-rate of 86.8, with 212 runs across both the innings.
- Shikhar Dhawan has been India’s leading run-scorer in the year, with 567 runs, averaging 40.5 but he isn’t the man in form, Shubman Gill is. Gill, who has played just nine innings, seven less than Dhawan averages an outstanding 75.71, with a strike-rate of 107.5.
- Yuzvendra Chahal will have an opportunity to prove his worth, with an opportunity to add to the 21 wickets that he has picked up in the year. Whilst the boundaries are going to be short, his variations might come to the fore.
- New Zealand will be without Martin Guptill but Tom Latham’s form is such that they can breathe easy. Latham has been pivotal to New Zealand’s success, with 413 runs in the year, averaging 41.3. Only Michael Bracewell and Will Young average more than him in ODIs this year.
Grand League Punts
- New Zealand will be without Trent Boult but Matt Henry’s presence would make them feel safe, given that the right-arm pacer has picked up 17 wickets in the year, averaging just 18.8. Given that he is fit and raring to play, India would have a huge task at their hand, to see him out early on in the innings
- Sanju Samson has adapted to 50-over cricket like a duck to water. In his nine-innings ODI career, the right-hander averages a humongous 73.50, with a daunting strike-rate of 106.13. Since his debut, amongst the top ten nations, with a minimum of five innings, no middle-order batter averages more than Samson.
Here are the Top 10 Criclytics Projections
Probable XIs
New Zealand Probable XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson (capt), Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, James Neesham/Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson
India Probable XI: Shikhar Dhawan (capt), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal/Kuldeep Yadav
