3rd ODI preview: India's hunt for a new finisher goes on, while New Zealand have their tails up

Suresh Raina is not with the Indian squad in Mohali. The left-hander seems to have suffered a setback in his recovery from illness, and continues to be unavailable for the current series against New Zealand.

There are two ways to look at this piece of news. One, India are crippled again as they try desperately to get their balance right in the batting order. Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav exhibited inexperience in the six-run defeat in Delhi. Raina’s presence would have allowed MS Dhoni to bat lower down the order, and provide his customary finishing touch.

Or, two, we can try to understand what the Indian skipper said when he defended Pandya’s inability to finish things off after taking the team within touching distance of victory.

“It is harsh on him,” said Dhoni with a smile, when asked if he needs to teach Pandya to take things to the last over. “He could have. The option is always there. You have to target who are the bowlers you want to hit in these situations as even the last ball counts. It is good exposure when you are under the pump because it always teaches you a lot. He will slowly learn, and whether to finish early or in the last over will be his call then.”

While it isn’t necessary that India should win every match, let it be said here that 243 is a very chaseable target for a line-up bred on IPL flatbeds. India should have planned out their chase better.

But it is also a fact that Trent Boult and Tim Southee bowled exceptionally well, despite the dew factor. It was a touch-and-go result, the small margin implying that any particular partnership could have done the job for India had it gone on for just a bit longer than the scoreboard shows.

Grooming a successor

The learning bit, as Dhoni mentioned, is crucial here. The skipper has obviously decided he will not bat lower than No. 5, and it looks to be a bid to groom both Jadhav and Pandya for the finishing role. Raina’s absence means that both of them are experiencing crucial game time, as opposed to just one of them getting a look-in. More importantly, Pandya batting at No. 7 – after Axar Patel – also reflects that the team management sees him as a natural finishing successor to Dhoni.

Imagine the situation where Raina is available, and India have their first-choice bowlers available. Jadhav would go out, with Ravindra Jadeja coming in place of Patel while Ravichandran Ashwin would play ahead of Amit Mishra. Both Mishra and Patel slotted on either side of Pandya, and this is another point of underlying importance.

Both Jadeja and Ashwin might have showcased a certain calm, thanks to their extensive experience, and stayed put at the crease to aid Pandya finish the job. Patel and Mishra got out to expansive shots, just when the all-rounder needed someone to stay with him at the crease.

As such, while Indian cricket is searching for a long-term replacement for Dhoni, the lower order needs to step up and contribute. Amit Mishra accepted responsibility in the pre-match press conference in Mohali. “I thought that a six might help the team’s cause in a tight spot. On hindsight, yes, I shouldn’t have played that shot and tried to stay at the wicket,” he said.

This is where the experimentation in the first three ODIs of this series comes under the scanner a bit. Sure, this is a long season but resting both their main spinners – who are decent batsmen, too – was a bit much. A full-strength Indian team could have perhaps won the series in a canter, and then this new selection panel could have thought about affording the players some rest.

Buoyant Kiwis

With a first victory on tour then, New Zealand have their tail up. It has taken a long time to come, but their main batsman is back among the runs. And at no point during the run-chase, did skipper Kane Williamson exhibit an iota of lack of control. He was obviously helped with the return of Boult, who formed his impressive partnership with Tim Southee. Together they took 5/77, and their scalps included Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Dhoni and Pandya.

Is it a wonder then that India failed in a paltry chase?

The danger now is in a replication of the same at Mohali, where conditions should resemble those in Delhi – good batting strip with something for the bowlers. And later, dew.

The Black Caps know they made a mistake in resting their premier pace bowlers in Dharamsala. They won’t be repeating it anytime soon, especially as the hosts continue to search for that elusive finisher to anchor their innings.