India v New Zealand First ODI Tips: Milne death spell makes him value

• Kohli 4/1 for top match bat

• Hyderabad pitch could be flat

• Lathan and Phillips well set

India v New Zealand
Wednesday 18 January, 08:00
TV: Streamed on ESPN

Team news

India are testing bench strength for this series. Ishan Kishan is expected to audition for the gloves instead of KL Rahul while there is no Jasprit Bumrah or Mohammad Shami with the ball. Washington Sundar gets a chance to put Axar Patel under pressure as the second all-rounder.

The fascinating question remains about what to do with Suryakumar Yadav. Unless they drop Shreyas Iyer or Shubmann Gill, which would be ludicrous on form, he unbalances the side if he plays.

Probable XI: Rohit, Gill, Kohli, Shreyas, Hardik, Kishan, Sundar, Thakur, Kuldeep, Siraj, Umran Malik

New Zealand have left Kane Williamson and Tim Southee at home. That raises some eyebrows considering the World Cup is hosted in India this year.

Tom Latham is skip and the chief rungetter with much onus on Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips for runs. It is good to see Adam Milne available again. Ish Sodhi, Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell could all play.

Possible XI: Allen, Conway, Nicholls, Mitchell, Latham, Phillips, Bracewell, Santner, Sodhi, Milne, Ferguson

Pitch report

The Hyderabad pitch is tricky to call. The last ODI was in 2019 and the previous one before that was 2014. In 2019 Australia were well beaten by six wickets against India after only posting 236 for seven. They were strangled by three spinners, including Kuldeep Yadav who plays again we think.

In T20, however, it has been very flat upon ocassion. Four times in the last ten have we seen scores of 200 or more in the first dig. India will expect to bust 320 batting first and so will the runs market. Keep eyes peeled in the first few overs for signs that it's a slow one.

How to play

New Zealand have tuned up nicely, winning 2-1 in Pakistan. All the more surprisinging that they have left senior players who played in that one at home. They have won three of their last eight in India against India.

Not surprisingly India are no better than 1.491/2 with New Zealand 3.1511/5. Obviusly if India bat first and it's flat they'll shorten.

Tops value

Virat Kohli was in sensational form against Sri Lanka and he will relish taking on a Kiwi atack which is minus its three top wicket-takers in the last two years (Matt Henry, Trent Boult and Tim Southee). He is 11/4 for top India bat, 4/1 for top match bat and 7s for man of the match. The middle price is a bet on win rate.

Milne is the Kiwi's main strike bowler and should bowl at the death. Sportsbook go 4/1 about most wickets and he should be skinnier. For top Kiwi bat Latham and Phillips could share it out over the series at 9/2 and 7/1 respectively.