What
The first T20 international of the two-match series between India and New Zealand.
When
September 08, 2012. The game begins at 7:00 pm, IST.
Where
The Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Vizag. The venue is yet to host a T20 International. However, it has hosted a couple of matches during IPL 2012, having served as a home venue for the Deccan Chargers. India boast a perfect record at this venue in ODIs, having triumphed on all four occasions that they have played here.
The Teams
Undoubtedly, Yuvraj Singh’s return is the biggest talking point before this game. The 2011 ICC World Cup Player of the Tournament, who battled a rare germ-cell cancer earlier in the year, is attempting to make a comeback to international cricket, having last played for India against West Indies in the 2011-12 Test series. Irrespective of whether he gets a game right away, Yuvraj’s availability for the series itself will boost the Indian team.
Harbhajan Singh’s return to the Indian squad will also be followed with as much interest. Harbhajan’s last international appearance was in the Trent Bridge Test during India's tour of England in August 2011. It will be interesting to see if the county stint with Essex will help the offspinner find his rhythm right away. Overall, the hosts’ batting firepower, with MS Dhoni, Gautam Gambhir, Virender Sehwag and Suresh Raina, gives India a distinct edge going into the contest.
Like with their performance in Tests, New Zealand have fared poorly in recent T20Is as well. They lost both their series to West Indies and South Africa, winning only one of their last five T20Is. Their side, however, appears very different from their Test series squad, with the likes of Ronnie Hira, Nathan McCullum, Adam Milne and Jacob Oram available for this leg of the tour. However, it is Daniel Vettori’s return to the side following a groin injury that should make the biggest impact on the Kiwis’ fortunes.
Trivia:
MS Dhoni has captained India on 31 occasions – the most for any player in Twenty20 Internationals. He is also the only player to play 100 matches as captain in the Twenty20 format.
Kyle Mills has been hit for 33 sixes in Twenty20 Internationals – the most big hits off any bowler.
Venue Stats:
Average first innings score at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium in IPL matches: 166
Result summary at Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy Stadium in IPL matches:
|
Matches |
Won by side batting 1st |
Won by side batting 2nd |
No result |
Tied |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
Head-to-head:
|
Matches |
Played |
India won |
NZ won |
No result |
Tied |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Overall |
3 |
0 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
|
In India |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
Last meeting between both sides in a T20I match: February 27, 2009 at Wellington
Brief scores: New Zealand (150-5) beat India (149-6) by five wickets
Form guide (most recent listed first):
India: Won, Lost, Won, Lost, Lost (2 wins, 3 losses)
New Zealand: Lost, Lost, Lost, Lost, Won (1 win, 4 losses)
The Squads:
India: MS Dhoni (c & wk), Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin, L Balaji, Piyush Chawla, Ashok Dinda, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, Virat Kohli, Irfan Pathan, SK Raina, Virender Sehwag, Rohit Sharma, Manoj Tiwary, Yuvraj Singh
New Zealand: Ross Taylor (c), Doug Bracewell, James Franklin, Martin Guptill, Ronnie Hira, Brendon McCullum (wk), Nathan McCullum, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne, Rob Nicol, Jacob Oram, Tim Southee, Daniel Vettori, BJ Watling, Kane Williamson
All stats are as on September 7, 2012
