ODI preview / Andrew Hughes / 27 November 2010 /

The Black Caps fought bravely in the Test series but India's class told in the end. Can the tourists pull off a surprise in the five match one-day series? Andrew Hughes previews the first game in Guwahati.

Venue and Conditions
There are no floodlights at the Nehru Stadium so this means one day matches have to start around eight or nine in the morning to beat the fading evening light. Getting underway at such an hour means that lingering fog and dew can be a factor and given the prevailing damp conditions, it is easy to see why seam bowlers have had such success there and why batting is such a tricky proposition. In 13 one day internationals at this venue, a score of 250 has only been passed twice and anything over 230 can prove a tough chase. It's also worth noting that thunderstorms are forecast for Sunday, so there's a possibility that we may not get a full 50 over game.

Team News
India have rested a number of their big name players, most notably captain MS Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag. Such is the strength in depth in Indian batting ranks though that the replacements are just as formidable. Suresh Raina, Virat Kohli and Yuvraj Singh will form the middle order with stand-in captain and opener Gautam Gambhir partnered by Murali Vijay. They will probably stick with promising spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and there is a choice to be made between Vinay Kumar and Munaf Patel for the third seamer spot.

New Zealand's one day line-up is likely to be much changed from the team we saw in Bangladesh. Jesse Ryder has withdrawn through injury and his replacement, all-rounder James Franklin has a chance of getting a game, although Scott Styris and Grant Elliott are also both strong contenders for the middle order. The biggest decision facing the tourists is whether Brendon McCullum keeps wicket. He may prefer to play as a batsman but that reduces their options somewhat.

Match Odds
New Zealand go into this series with a typically unsettled line-up and with unhappy memories of their last foray into the 50 over format, an embarrassing four-nil series defeat in Bangladesh. Optimists might argue that this game gives them their best chance of a win, given that the conditions will suit their bowlers down to the ground, but then again India have a similar quartet of fast-medium seam and swing merchants at their disposal and a far more potent batting line-up, particularly now that Jesse Ryder will not be lining up for the Black Caps. Whilst odds of [2.72] are perhaps a touch high for the tourists, the safe option is to stick with the hosts at [1.57]

Top Batsman
India's line-up is packed with talented batsmen, but Yuvraj Singh stands out, not least because he has scored two half-centuries in three innings on this ground and has been in decent form domestically. He can be backed at around [6.5]

It is tempting to consider 'Any Other Batsman' in the top New Zealand batsman market at around [3.75], given that this option is likely to include opener Jamie How and Daniel Vettori, who could bat at six.

Featured Market
This is a low scoring venue at which centuries are rare. That said, the top score has usually been around the mid 80s, so there is perhaps a hint of value in backing 'Over 82.5 Runs' in the Highest Individual Score market at [2.0] or better.

Andrew Hughes says: Back 'Over 82.5 Runs' in the Highest Score market @ [2.0] or better

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