IND vs NZ: Former India batter Mohammad Kaif explained why Virat Kohli has always stayed ahead of Rohit Sharma in ODI cricket by pointing to Kohli’s mindset and consistency. Kaif said Kohli is very strong at converting starts into big, match-winning innings. According to him, when Kohli reaches 30 or 40, he usually stays till the end and finishes the game for the team.
Kaif said this ability to turn good starts into long innings is the main reason Kohli has remained ahead of Rohit in ODIs. He added that Kohli scores runs regularly and plays big innings more consistently, which gives him an edge in the format.
Kaif also spoke about Kohli’s intensity and self-awareness. He mentioned that in the first ODI against New Zealand, Kohli was visibly upset after getting out and shook his head, showing that he felt he had played a wrong shot. Kaif said this shows how high Kohli’s personal standards are, even when he makes a strong contribution.
Kohli played a key role in India’s four-wicket win in the first ODI by scoring 93 runs off 91 balls while chasing a target of 301 in Vadodara. He was named Player of the Match for that inning. This knock was his fifth consecutive fifty-plus score in ODIs, continuing a streak that began against Australia in Sydney.
If Kohli scores another fifty in the second ODI, he will become the first Indian batter to record six successive fifty-plus scores in ODIs. This would take him ahead of players like Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Rohit Sharma, and Ajinkya Rahane.
IND vs NZ: Second ODI preview after close first-match win
India will play New Zealand in the second IND vs NZ ODI of the three-match series. India won the first match by a close margin of two wickets. New Zealand had set a target of 301 runs, and India were mostly comfortable during the chase. The match became tense after Virat Kohli was dismissed for 93, which allowed New Zealand to come back strongly. India eventually won because of a quick knock of 29 by Harshit Rana and a calm innings by KL Rahul, who stayed till the end.
India suffered a setback in the first match as Washington Sundar was ruled out due to injury. The BCCI has named Ayush Badoni as his replacement. It is not yet clear whether Badoni or Nitish Reddy will play in Sundar’s place in the second ODI.
New Zealand are missing some key players, but they remain a fighting side. They came very close to winning the first ODI and are expected to put up another strong fight in the second match.
The toss for the second ODI between India and New Zealand will take place at 1:00 PM IST.
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