COC Cricbattle Daily Fantasy Cricket League Tips: New Zealand vs India on February 8
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New Zealand fired the first shots in the three match T20I series against India. In the first T20I between the two teams on Wednesday, the hosts romped to a 80 run victory. They now have a 1-0 lead with two matches remaining in the series. India will be heading into the 2nd T20I at Eden Park on Friday knowing that they will have to win the match to keep the series alive. As for New Zealand, a victory on Friday will mean that they could test their bench strength in the third ODI; something they would be keen on, especially with the Cricket World Cup just a few months away.
Best economical pick – Yes, we agree that Kuldeep Yadav wasn’t picked for the first T20I and that there is no guarantee for him to take part on Friday. But if there is anything that India could learn from the first match is the erratic selection. And if India does intend to mend it, Yadav will be featured in the 2nd T20I. Kuldeep Yadav could have the same effect that Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi had on the Indian batsmen and could play a vital role.
Top captains & vice captains – Brought in as a replacement for the injured Martin Guptill, Tim Seifert had a point or two to prove. And that is exactly he did. Rolling back the years, Seifert looked like Brendon McCullum in his prime as he punished the Indian bowlers for some lackluster bowling. Seifert put New Zealand in the driver’s seat right from the beginning and looked in control at all times. While Tim Seifert took over the mantle of getting New Zealand to an explosive start, Colin Munro took over the unusual role of stabilizing the innings. Munro still managed to hit the big shots as he scored 34 off just 20 deliveries. Munro is a dangerous batsman whenever he comes to bat in T20I
Smart pick – New Zealand had put a target they would fancy themselves to defend, but the onus was up to the bowlers to step up and get the job done. Tim Southee who led New Zealand’s bowling attack was spot on right from the start as he restricted the Indian batsmen from switching gears. With the wicket of Rohit Sharma early on in the innings, Southee made sure that the pressure was always on India.
Cautions Pick – Although it might seem to be slightly unfair call, the management might bench Vijay Shankar for the upcoming game. His services weren’t required with the ball due to the abundance of options. With the bat, he threw his wicket away at the wrong time even though he had a wonderful opportunity ahead of him. Leaving Shankar out to get an additional bowler in might bring in the much-needed balance.
My XI – Tim Seifert (Captain), Colin Munro (Vice-Captain),Tim Southee, Kuldeep Yadav, Rohit Sharma, Lockie Ferguson, Shikhar Dhawan, Mitchell Santner, Ross Taylor, Krunal Pandya, Rishabh Pant
