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Ravichandran Ashwin, the former India spinner, was impressed by New Zealand and how the visitors managed to stay in the contest right until the very end in the first ODI of the three-match series in Vadodara. A depleted Kiwi lineup gave the hosts a run for their money, and India somehow huffed and puffed to a victory. Chasing 301, India were in cruise control when Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer were batting together, but upon the dismissal of the former on 93, India faced a cluster collapse, and in the end, it was KL Rahul who ensured that the side got over the line with four wickets in hand and six balls to spare.
It is worth noting that New Zealand have not sent a full-strength squad for the ODI series as the selectors and certain senior players prioritised the T20 World Cup, which will be played in India and Sri Lanka from February 7 to March 8.
Ashwin, who retired from international cricket in December 2024, said that he is willing to pay money if needed, as he really wants to observe the Kiwi lineup from close quarters. He said that it often boggles his mind how the Black Caps always manage to make the most of their resources.
“A lot of the top teams aren’t very analytically driven. New Zealand is a very analytically driven side. I hope to sit down with them and observe their planning; I am even willing to pay money for it if needed. The way they execute their plans, I would pay to sit in their team meetings to understand how they go about it,” Ashwin said on his YouTube channel ‘Ash Ki Baat’.
“We must give credit to New Zealand for the way they showed the stomach to fight in the game. They didn’t stop till the end, and that’s why they were able to come back into the game. I also posted a tweet that New Zealand don’t have a lot of strength in their squad, in terms of man-to-man. But because of their discipline, fielding, and how they execute their plans well, they are able to fight and compete with some of the top teams,” he added.
‘New Zealand impressive’
Ashwin also didn’t shy away from saying that India weren’t at their best in the opening ODI, and the match was all about New Zealand punching above their weight and putting on an impressive show.
“The most impressive was the New Zealand team. India didn’t play the best of cricket. There were pockets where Harshit Rana bowled really well and batted really well,” said Ashwin.
After winning the series opener, India gained a 1-0 lead in the three-match series, and the two teams will now square off in the second ODI at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday, January 14.
