NewZelend Win the Toss

I am here to just make one statement because since morning there has been some news which is appearing on the television on a very disturbing subject. So I have to tell that the MCA, of course the BCCI too, along with the Committee of the Administrators (CoA) have zero tolerance on such subjects, so MCA will be making a detailed enquiry on what has happened or what has appeared on the television. But before we have our urgent meeting, in the capacity of the MCA President, I have taken Mr. Salgaoncar under suspension with immediate effect, and all his work has been withdrawn, including his basic membership with the MCA has been withdrawn. The ICC observer has approved the pitch, the match will start on schedule: Abhay Apte, MCA President.

Teams:

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni(w), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal

New Zealand (Playing XI): Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Trent Boult

Kohli: We wanted to field anyway, not such a bad thing. Looks like a good surface to bat on. The one we played against England was similar. Generally the wicket plays better in the evening. We have won 9 out of 11 in recent times, you will lose one here and there. We need such things to bounce back from, we are looking for the challenge. It will also help us in the future when we are playing away from India. One change, Axar Patel as the all-rounder for Kuldeep.

Williamson: We are going to have a bat. Looks like a good surface. Try to make first use of it. It was a very good performance, but it is a new day and it is important to execute our skills and adapt to the conditions. It was very humid in Mumbai, more dry heat here and hopefully not that harsh on the body. Same XI.

New Zealand have won the toss and have opted to bat

Toss time!

Pitch Report: "That was a rare thing (Test ending in three days). Generally in Pune the pitch is very good for batting. When you are out of form, you want to come and bat here. There almost like expressways. This pitch though has a sprinkling of grass and the seamers will get a bit of movement. The second innings there will be more bounce and carry because of the dew," analysis by Sunil Gavaskar and Simon Doull.

"Hello everyone. What's more scorching? The sun or the buzz around the entire pitch? I guess the latter. We were told of an inspection but all that cloud will clear up soon. There's an official statement expected in a bit. So hold your breath," pings Mr. Shirshendu Roy. "Everything going on as usual. The players have taken to their huddle too. The umpires are looking over the pitch at the moment," he further adds.

What India need to do? When they were dominating in the previous two series, the opening stand played a crucial role, Rohit and Rahane added three 100+ partnerships against Australia. So, a good start will allow the likes of Dhoni, Jadhav and Pandya to express themselves more. The bowling looked alright with all its varieties, but the spinners can be more tight and not give away free boundary balls. We're all set for a cracking game. Don't go anywhere, there's an update from the ground coming up..

Where did New Zealand win the game? There were two points which made them stand apart from Australia and Sri Lanka. A brilliant left-arm pacer who not only provided them early wickets but also removed two dangerous lower-order batsmen (Dhoni and Pandya). Then the middle order didn't allow the wrist spinning duo to dictate terms. Latham and Taylor rotated the strike, hit the odd boundary and strung a partnership in the middle overs. Latham especially was terrific when it came to playing the spinners and the move to send him down the order might be the way to go for New Zealand.

12:35 IST: Now that the drama regarding the pitch is settled, time to concentrate on what is on hand. New Zealand did what Australia and Sri Lanka didn't - bring the series to life. It was a typical Kiwi performance where they downplayed the hype surrounding the series, punched above their weight and in the process recorded their highest successful run-chase in India. India are in a do-or-die encounter for the first time since the Champions Trophy final. How will they respond? Can New Zealand seal the series and register their first series win in India? Let us wait for things to unfold.

12:20 PM IST: More news coming in, the pitch has been inspected and the match will go on as scheduled. Here's what Harsha Bhogle has tweeted: 'The pitch is fine. Looking forward to a good match'

12:15 PM IST: Hello and a warm welcome to the second One Day International between India and New Zealand. Before going any further, Indian cricket has been hit with a new scandal. The Pune pitch curator, Pandurang Salgaoncar, has been suspended with immediate effect after India Today broke a sting operation in which he took two TV journalists (who masqueraded as bookies) to the ground and allowed them to even step onto the pitch. While we keep a tab on that, the latest news is that the ICC will conduct a pitch inspection in a short while to decide if the second ODI can go on as scheduled.

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October 25, 2017