'We may see Kuldeep Playing, Rishabh is Irreplaceable': Ex-India Opener's Prediction for 2nd ODI in Hamilton

A 7-wicket defeat in the first ODI against New Zealand has put Team India in a spot to bother. The second face-off on Sunday in Hamilton becomes a do-or-die game for the visitors and in order to win that, they need to correct the mistakes committed in Auckland. Dhawan and his boys failed to defend a challenging 306-run total as they lacked a sixth bowling option. The Black Caps were 88 for 3 at one stage but captain Kane Williamson and Tom Latham stitched a colossal 22-run stand, taking the game away from India’s reach.

To level the series 1-1, India would require making some changes to the playing XI so that the balance could be achieved. Speaking about the same, former India opener Wasim Jaffer opined that having Deepak Chahar in the line-up would add depth to the batting line-up and also, the top-order batters could play with more freedom.

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In a conversation with ESPN Cricinfo, Jaffer opined that Kuldeep Yadav may get a chance in place of Yuzvendra Chahal but Rishabh Pant won’t get replaced.

“We may see Kuldeep Yadav playing in place of Yuzvendra Chahal. I think the Chinaman bowler brings more mystery to the table. Also, maybe Arshdeep get replaced by Deepak Chahar because then you will have depth in the batting. Chahar can swing the ball and since he adds strength to batting, the top-order batters can play more fearlessly,” Jaffer told Cricinfo.

“Deepak Hooda is indeed a tempting option, but I don’t think he would replace Rishabh Pant who is irreplaceable, especially in this format,” he added.

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Meanwhile, on Saturday, the Men in Blue reached Hamilton for the second ODI match which is to be played on Sunday. The video of the team’s arrival was shared by the BCCI the mood in the camp looked positive.

It’s going to be a must-win for India as the hosts are already 1-0 up in the series. Shikhar Dhawan has never lost an ODI series as the captain of the side and would like to maintain the spree in New Zealand as well.

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