India Embark on a New Cricket Era Ahead of New Zealand Series

Indian cricket recently embarked on a new era after former player Gautam Gambhir was appointed as head coach of the national team for all formats.

Gambhir has been tasked with helping India retain their status as one of the sport’s big-hitters. His first assignment as head coach is a Test series against Bangladesh.

The 42-year-old has insisted he wants to build a team that respects the sport’s traditions and understands they must perform in all formats.

With 13 years of experience playing for the national side, he has a solid foundation and working knowledge of the team, but coaching is vastly different from playing.

Mohammed Shami Could Return to Bolster Indian Team

The long-awaited return of fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who has been out of action since the 2023 ODI World Cup with an ankle injury, would be a major boost for India.

Shami may make his international cricket comeback during the Test series against New Zealand in October. He will likely play some domestic matches first.

The upcoming series against the Kiwis promises to serve fans an unforgettable thriller as both teams look to showcase their talent on the Test scene.

India have not played in this format in over six months but have plenty of games lined up, with New Zealand sandwiched between them.

The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup champions are the bookmakers’ favourites to defeat New Zealand, with home advantage expected to give them the edge.

However, the Kiwis are capable of upsetting the odds in India and will likely attract plenty of interest from punters on betting NZ platforms ahead of the series.

New Zealand caused India problems at the 2023 World Cup in Mumbai. Daryl Mitchell put on 181 runs from 149 balls with skipper Kane Williamson to scare their opponents.

However, Shami played a crucial role as India bounced back to book their place in the final, recording 7-57 – the best for India in one-day international cricket.

India Produce Dominant Display Against Bangladesh

India’s preparations for the upcoming series against New Zealand received a major boost as they defeated Bangladesh by 280 runs in Chennai.

Ravichandran Ashwin received the Player of the Match award after an outstanding performance, taking six wickets in Bangladesh’s second innings.

Ashwin took 6-88 and Ravindra Jadeja picked up 3-58 as the spin duo mullered Bangladesh, bowling out the visitors for 234 as they chased an unlikely 515 for victory.

Bangladesh came into the game confident of securing a positive result, especially after their recent win over Pakistan. However, they quickly found out they were no match for India.

After being reduced to 144 for 6 by Bangladesh on the first day, India got out of trouble thanks a remarkable 199-run stand by the seventh wicket pairing.

They never looked back from that point onwards and Ashwin put the cherry on top of the cake by taking another five wickets in the second innings.

“It was a great result looking at what lies ahead,” skipper Rohit Sharma said. “We want to build our team around strong bowling options – we have to be ready to face whatever the conditions offer.

“No matter what the conditions are, whether we play in India, or whether we play outside, we want to build the team around that.”

Sharma also praised Ashwin’s performance, saying he will be difficult to replace when he eventually steps away from international cricket.

“He’s always there for us over the years,” Sharma added. “I don’t know if I speak here that it’ll be enough to cover what he does for the team. He looks like he’s never out of the game.”

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John Day

John Day is a seasoned sports writer and brings a unique blend of insightful analysis and covers the stories that matter most to sports enthusiasts everywhere.