SWOT analysis of the Indian ODI squad for New Zealand series

The Indian team for the ODIs was announced on Thursday. The selection meeting was the first venture of the newly appointed panel headed by MSK Prasad. There were lots of surprises sprung in the squad.

While prime players like Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammad Shami were rested, Shikhar Dhawan and KL Rahul were not available due to injuries. The squad saw youngsters who have excelled in domestic tours in the recent past being named. Suresh Raina makes a comeback after almost a year in the ODI fold.

Here we make an analysis of the Indian team picked for the ODI series against the Kiwis.

Strengths:

Over the years, the batting lineup has been India’s principal strength. A top order comprising of batsmen with the class of a Rohit Sharma and the ever stylish Virat Kohli is always going to make life difficult for the opposition. Rohit has recently proved his mettle in the Test format and would be looking forward to establishing his authority in the format he has always excelled in.

Kohli who’s been off-colour of late would be eager to display his greatness in the format he’s renowned for. Rahane is the probable choice in Dhawan’s absence to open the innings and his record as an opener is staggering. He has got both his centuries while opening the batting.

Manish Pandey and Kedhar Jadhav also sound exciting prospects. While Pandey created an enigma in the Australian series earlier this year with a splendid hundred, Kedhar Jadhav was excellent last year in Zimbabwe and has scored heavily in the domestic seasons.

Talking about the lower order, the Raina-Dhoni duo is probably the best finishing pair around at the moment. The duo has together compiled 9 century partnerships and 18 fifties. With Raina coming into the ODI team, he would be keen to put up a brilliant show against the Kiwis. Dhoni too would be looking to regain his finishing touch.

Then there is Hardik Pandya and Axar Patel who are capable of producing some mighty hits over the park. Overall the batting has depth and shouldn’t be a concern for India from the looks of it. India are a notch above the Kiwis in this department.

The fielding unit also seems fantastic with the likes of Kohli, Manish Pandey, Rohit and Rahane. Not to forget the best in this unit, Raina who has been known for pulling off some stunning catches in the past. Dhoni’s stumpings which are as quick as a cheetah add on to the strengths.