India vs New Zealand first ODI schedule: TV guide, date, time and venue of opening match
It is now over to the "not that much of a battle between bat and ball" fun and games of the limited-overs, with India and New Zealand recommencing their combat with the first ODI in Dharamsala on Sunday.
India won the Test series comprehensively and will go into theODIs as the favourites.While changes are expected from both teams – not as much from New Zealand, considering 12 of their Test team membersare also a part of the ODI squad – what will be interesting to see is how India start this series off and howaffected the Kiwis will be by the 3-0 series loss in the Test matches.Dharamsala usually produces a wicket that has a bit of paceand comes on nicely to the bat, and so, this could end up suiting the batsmen of both teams.
How well the bowlers dowill decide the outcome of this match, with India hamstrung by the fact that they will be without their two best spinners and premierfast bowler – R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami – who have been rested for the first three matches.MS Dhoni is someone wholikes to have options in his bowling and that has also taken a hit for this first ODI owing to Suresh Raina being ruledout of the match with viral fever.
That means Dhoni will have to rely on his specialist bowlers and Hardik Pandya, who has failedto impress in the recent past.If Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Virat Kohli find their mojo with the bat, though, it might not matterhow well the bowlers do, because in Kohli and Rohit, in particular, India have two ridiculously-gifted match-winners.New Zealand have their own in Kane Williamsonand Martin Guptill, while the Black Caps will also bank on their fast bowlers Trent Boult and Tim Southee to deliver, especially if thereis something in it for the pacers with the new ball.The key for New Zealand will be to move on from the draining andmorale-sapping Test series loss; if they do that, this series will be a lot more competitive than the Tests.
India vs New Zealand 1st ODI schedule:
Date: Sunday, October 16.Time: 1.30pm IST, 9pm NZT, 9am BST, 4am ET.
Venue: HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala.
TV listings:India: Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD3.
New Zealand: Sky Sport 3.Middle East: OSN Sports Cricket.UK: Sky Sports 5.USA and Canada: Willow TV.
