India Aims to Reassert Home Supremacy in Crucial 2nd ODI Against New Zealand

On Wednesday, assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate acknowledged that the Indian team must reestablish the intimidating reputation of touring India in the minds of their adversaries. This statement came after New Zealand defeated India with a commanding seven-wicket victory in the second ODI held in Rajkot.

New Zealand outperformed India in all aspects of the game, achieving the win with more than two overs to spare. The victory was driven by a stellar performance from Daryl Mitchell, who scored an unbeaten 131, and Will Young, who added 87 runs.

In pursuit of a target of 285, New Zealand scored 286 for three in 47.3 overs.

“We aim to win every match while also considering the medium to long-term objectives for the team. However, restoring the fear factor of playing against India is certainly something we need to return to,” Ten Doeschate conveyed to the media following the match.

This marks the second consecutive occasion where a three-match series progresses to a deciding match. Previously, India clinched victory against South Africa in the third ODI after losing the second match.

India began the series against New Zealand with a win in the first ODI by four wickets but fell short in the second match. The series-deciding final ODI is scheduled to take place in Indore on Sunday.

The assistant coach indicated that the team management will specifically review the bowling lengths of the Indian spinners, who were outclassed by their New Zealand counterparts on the slow pitch at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.

“We believed 290 was a competitive score. We expected the pitch to become more challenging as the game progressed. We were comfortable with the decision to bowl second,” Ten Doeschate stated.

“We need to improve our bowling, especially with regard to the spinners’ lengths. We will reevaluate those lengths in more detail. However, it’s seldom just one factor that leads to a game loss. Multiple elements contributed to tonight’s defeat,” he added.

Published on January 14, 2026.