Rajkot: The second match of the 3-match ODI series between India and New Zealand will be held in Rajkot on Wednesday. When the Indian cricket team takes the field in this important match, it will be challenged not only by the New Zealand team but also by the old record of this stadium.

Strong Indian team against New Zealand

On paper, the Indian team appears stronger than New Zealand, but in cricket, historical figures and circumstances also matter. The ground of Rajkot has not proved to be that auspicious for India in ODI cricket, which can be a matter of concern for the Indian team.

Defeated by England

The first ODI match in this stadium of Rajkot was played between India and England in 2013. The match was exciting, but ultimately England won by 9 runs. After this, in 2015, India also played a match here against South Africa, in which India had to face defeat by 18 runs.

celebration of first victory

India experienced its first win at this ground in 2020, when it won against Australia by 36 runs. But this happy experience was also short-lived, because in 2023 once again there was a match between India and Australia, in which Australia won by 66 runs.

Defeat in Rajkot

So far, India has played four ODI matches on the Rajkot ground, out of which it has won only one match, while it has lost three matches. An interesting fact is that in all the matches played here, only the teams which batted first have won. India’s only win also came when it batted first. This makes it clear that the importance of the toss is very high on this ground.

Toss will be important

Considering this past record, batting first may prove beneficial for the teams. Especially if a team scores 300 or more runs, it becomes difficult for the other team to chase the target. The pitch of this ground is such that it is not easy to bat later.

Excellent performance by Rohit and Kohli

The batting of the Indian team is looking strong at the moment. Experienced players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are continuously scoring runs, while Shubman Gill also scored a half-century in the last match. KL Rahul also helped the team win by scoring important runs. In such a situation, fans are hoping that after 2020, the Indian team will be able to improve the old record of this ground by winning once again in Rajkot.