IND vs NZ ODI: Team India on Alert! Rajkot Stadium Not Lucky for India

The Indian cricket team is set to play its second One Day International (ODI) against New Zealand in Rajkot on Wednesday, while while Team India is generally considered a formidable force and often dominates New Zealand, it's crucial to note that their track record in ODIs at the Rajkot stadium is far from impressive. The team will need to exercise caution, as past statistics at this venue don't favor them.

India's ODI Record in Rajkot

At the Rajkot stadium, the Indian team has played a total of four ODI matches to date. Out of these four encounters, Team India has managed to secure a victory in only one, while facing defeat in three. This statistic clearly indicates that the ground has not been particularly lucky for the Indian side, unlike many other stadiums across the country. Given this unfavorable record, the team will need to seriously. Reconsider its strategy for the upcoming match against New Zealand.

First ODI and Early Setbacks

The inaugural ODI match at this Rajkot stadium took place in 2013, featuring India against England. Unfortunately, the Indian team suffered a defeat in its very first ODI played on home turf at this venue. England clinched the match by a narrow margin of 9 runs, marking a disappointing start for India at the stadium and setting a precedent for future challenges.

Defeat Against South Africa

Following the 2013 match, the Indian team played another ODI against South Africa at the same venue in 2015. In this encounter as well, India had to face defeat. South Africa emerged victorious by 18 runs, further solidifying India's poor record in Rajkot. Consecutive losses made this ground a significant challenge for the team, highlighting a pattern of struggle.

First Victory and Subsequent Loss

Team India finally tasted its first victory in Rajkot in 2020 when they played an ODI against Australia. India delivered a strong performance, defeating Australia by 36 runs, which sparked hope among fans that the team's fortunes at the venue might be changing. However, this joy was short-lived, while in 2023, when India and Australia met again at the same stadium, Australia claimed victory by 66 runs, once again underscoring India's ongoing struggles in Rajkot. An interesting pattern emerges when analyzing the statistics of matches played in Rajkot. In all the matches played at this venue so far, the team that batted first has emerged victorious, while india's sole win also came when they batted first. This fact makes the role of the toss extremely critical in the upcoming match. If this track record continues, the team that bats first will have a higher probability of winning.

Significance of a 300+ Score

If a team manages to score more than 300 runs while batting first in this match, chasing that total won't be an easy task. It has been a particular challenge at this stadium to chase down large scores. India's batting lineup is quite strong, with experienced players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma consistently scoring runs. Also, Shubman Gill has also shown good form in recent matches, which is a relief for the team. It remains to be seen whether Team India will succeed in securing another victory in Rajkot after 2020 and improve its unfavorable record at the venue.