In the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand, Virat Kohli’s men inflicted a 3-0 whitewash on the visitors. When the two teams lock horns in the first of the five one-dayers at Dharamsala on 16 October, the MS Dhoni-led Indian side will be hoping to repeat the heroics.
With the limited-format series promising to be an exciting contest, The Quint looks at five Indian players to watch out for over the next two weeks.
MS Dhoni
Soon after the success of his biopic ‘MS Dhoni: The Untold Story’, India’s limited-overs skipper is all set to grab eyeballs during the upcoming ODI series. The 34-year old last played an ODI during India’s tour to Zimbabwe. The series saw the visitors notch up a convincing 3-0 victory.
Dhoni has rested three of his wicket-taking bowlers -- R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Shami -- for the first three one-dayers. So, the skipper will have quite a task on his hands to compete with a rather inexperienced bowling unit.
His poor form across the limited-over format has also been a worry for both him and India. MSD’s highest score in the last eight outings is just 43. So, will Captain Cool return to his imperious best? Or will advancing age put a stop to his run-scoring abilities? Come Sunday, we will have the answer.
Rohit Sharma
The highest individual run-scorer in an ODI innings, the ‘hitman’ of the Indian cricket team Rohit Sharma comes second in our list. The right-handed batsman had a good run in the recently concluded Test series against New Zealand. Sharma stacked up 238 runs in three matches, which included three half-centuries.
In the absence of Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul in the top order due to injuries, Sharma will certainly have a bigger role to play in the ODI series. India will bank a lot on him and Rahane (who is expected to open with him). The duo is expected to provide the stability in the start, which will offer the middle order a chance to play freely.
Sharma’s sound technique and ability to find gaps makes him one of those to watch out for in the limited-over series.
Manish Pandey
One of India’s most promising future prospects, Manish Pandey is likely to grab a lot of attention in the ODI series. Captaining India A in the quadrangular series in August, Manish showed his class, both with the bat and as a leader. India A went on to win the tournament by beating hosts Australia in the finals. He also notched up two magnificent hundreds on the tour. This display earned him a place in the national side.
Overlooked for the 2016 World T20, Pandey did not sit back. Instead, he worked harder to make the best of the opportunities offered to him.
With strength and timing being his core skills, he is likely to end India’s woes in the middle order in this series.
Jasprit Bumrah
Jasprit Bumrah, one of the better IPL finds, has been an integral part of the Indian bowling line up for a while. Having played in the Asia Cup, the World T20 tournament and the Zimbabwe series, Bumrah has a fair bit of international experience. In fact, in the Zimbabwe ODI series, the young bowler was the highest wicket-taker for India.
With his sleek bowling action, Bumrah is not easy to read. What makes him really dangerous are his sharp, in-coming yorkers. In his four-match ODI career, he has got 11 wickets with an economy rate of 3.26 and best figures of 4/22.
Bumrah, along with Dhawal Kulkarni and Umesh Yadav, will form the fast bowling unit. And we bet he will be looking to tear through the heart of the New Zealand batting line up early on.
Amit Mishra
Amit Mishra, arguably India’s most consistent leg spinner in a decade, is also likely to make a mark in the ODIs. With ace spinner R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja having been rested for the first three ODIs, Mishra found a place in the squad.
The leggie last featured in the T20I against West Indies in Florida. The match saw him pick up 3/24 in his quota of four overs. During the Test series against the Windies, Mishra played two matches and took six wickets in all.
The leg spinner, like MS Dhoni, does not have age on his side. But he has ample of experience under his belt to trouble to the visitors on subcontinental tracks. Assisting him in the spin department will be left-arm spinner Axar Patel and Haryana’s Jayant Yadav.
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