New Zealand vs India 1st ODI Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview
04Feb
Cricket Predictions ODI

New Zealand vs India 1st ODI Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

Coming hot on the heels of the thrilling-yet-one-sided T20I series between the two sides, the first of the 3-match One-Day International series between thus-far intrepid India and a nervous New Zealand promises to be an absolute cracker. With the teams ranked 2 and 3 on the ICC ODI rankings, India will look to close the gap on current World Champions England, while the Kiwis will attempt to do the same with India themselves.

India Team News & Form

India seem to be fired up and intent on beating New Zealand to a pulp, fueled perhaps by the salty rage of having been knocked out by the Kiwis in the 2019 World Cup Semi-Final match between the two sides in Manchester. The defeat made it the second World Cup in a row where India made an exit in the semis, and was a source of intense criticism by the media as well as the country’s billion-plus population. Although their vengeful whitewash of New Zealand must have provided a good deal of cathartic relief, India would undoubtedly wish to continue their ODI dominance of the south-east Pacific, after having defeated Australia 2-1 in that series - not to mention crush New Zealand’s hope of taking something away from this series. 
 
That being said, with stalwart Rohit Sharma out with a calf injury that he picked up in the final match of the T20I series, Mayank Agarwal will be replacing him for his first - yes, you read that right - for his country. A 28-year-old IPL veteran, Mayank’s call to the ODI team is almost certainly a result of averaging a whopping 67 in the 9 tests he has played for the Men in Blue - all over the course of the last 14 months. Speaking of averages, Virat Kohli has a massive 65.15 vs the Black Caps in ODIs, which will definitely bolster India’s chances. Bumrah, Shami, and Chahal will also be key players, with all three having decent records against the side.

New Zealand Team News & Form

New Zealand, on the other hand, are desperately seeking redemption. After being trounced by Australia in tests and India in T20s, they will be playing their first ODI since the unfortunately unforgettable (if you’re a Kiwi fan) and controversial World Cup final last summer. They look to go back to winning ways not only to stop a rampaging India, but to wash away the bitter bile of having come within touching distance of cricket’s greatest title only to have their hand slapped off of the trophy. 
 
Although star batsmen Taylor and Williamson all average decently against India, opener Martin Guptill, much-vilified after an atrocious World Cup, does not have a record he can flaunt.. In the bowling department, both Boult and de Grandhomme will be eyeing to repeat their performances from last year’s match at Seddon Park, when they packed away the visitors for a laughable 92 with 8 wickets between them.

New Zealand vs India ODI Head-to-head Stats

While the individual ODI records between the two sides are competitive (55 for India and 46 for New Zealand, with one tie and 5 no results), India have historically been more successful at sealing series results in their favor. However, when India visited last year, New Zealand suffered a 4-1 loss with India winning every match but one comfortably. In the home side’s defense, the match they did win was the aforementioned Hamilton thumping.

New Zealand vs India 1st ODI Match Prediction and Betting Tips

As for predictions, most eyes will be on Kohli and Williamson - the main men of the respective sides - to churn out stellar innings with the bat. A 50 or 100 for either won’t be completely unexpected. Explosive knocks by de Grandhomme or Pandya are also possible scenarios. Considering the pitch, pacers will quite possibly be the picks of the bowling lot - especially with some early movement off the seam. Moreover, with both teams boasting some incredible fielders, expect some mesmerizing catches to be taken all around the ground.

Prediction: India to beat New Zealand @ 1.45

The stage is set for what is hopefully going to be a memorable match. Will New Zealand turn their luck around? Or will India remain defiantly dominant? Catch the match to find out!

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  1. Adarsh Adarsh from Report

    Good choice. I would also go for India bowling out the opposition

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