IND vs NZ, 2nd ODI: Niranjan Shah Stadium pitch report, weather forecast and toss strategy

India will be playing the second ODI against New Zealand on January 14, Wednesday at Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot and the Men in Blue will be looking to carry forward the winning momentum and clinch the three-match series. India return to Rajkot for their first ODI at the ground since late 2023, and all signs point toward another contest dominated by big totals, aggressive strokeplay, and minimal margin for error with the ball.

IND vs NZ: Pitch Report

Historically speaking, the surface at Rajkot has always been one of the flat batting wickets in Indian domestic cricket. This wicket traditionally provides plenty of bounce for the batsmen, very little seam movement, and hardly any assistance for the spinners, at least in the first innings.
Partnerships are essential, while discipline on the part of the bowlers will be absolutely critical here.

In the four ODIs played here till date, a definite trend has been witnessed – the team that bats first has won every time. Three of these tournaments have registered a total above 300 in the first innings, which goes to prove that this is a high-scoring ground. Even the lowest score of the first innings here, 270/7 by South Africa against India in 2015, was a competitive one.

IND vs NZ: Weather Forecast

The weather is also expected to be clear with favorable conditions all through the day of the match. Temperature-wise, the day is expected to be around 28 degrees Celsius, with the temperature reducing to close to 13 degrees Celsius in the evening. This could lead to the formation of dew during the later stages of the match, which could affect the bowlers during the second innings.

The rain is unlikely to make an appearance, which means there will be a complete match with a total of 100 overs.

IND vs NZ: Toss-Strategy

Given its historical and dew-related conditions in the evening, captains who won the toss might still opt to bowl first. Scoring a lot of runs can be proved effective at this venue, where scoreboard pressure and an unforgiving batting experience under lights can be very much in favor of the team batting first.

However, those teams who have stronger line-ups for chasing might think about bowling first if dew becomes a factor, although the record suggests the bigger total would be the safer side here.