The two sides will lock horns in three ODIs, with the first game to be played at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad on Wednesday, January 18. Tom Latham will lead the relatively inexperienced 15-member Kiwi squad, with the likes of Kane Williamson, Tim Southee and Trent Boult missing.
While previewing the first ODI in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra opined that the visitors are a weak unit, reasoning:
Chopra expects Devon Conway and Tom Latham to be the star performers with the bat for the Black Caps, elaborating:
Conway was the Player of the Series in New Zealand’s recent 2-1 win against Pakistan. The left-handed opener scored 153 runs at an impressive strike rate of 96.83, smashing a century and a half-century after a duck in the first game.
“The team does not have that much depth” - Aakash Chopra on New Zealand
While opining that New Zealand do not have much batting depth, Chopra highlighted the importance of the series for the visitors, explaining:
The reputed commentator expects the Kiwis to put up a tough fight but believes that Rohit Sharma and Co. will emerge triumphant on Wednesday, stating:
New Zealand have been further weakened as Ish Sodhi has also been ruled out of the first game due to an ankle injury. They will likely field Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell as their two frontline spinners in the series opener.
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