India’s Inexperienced Pace Attack To Face Stern Test Against Kiwis In ODIs: Venkatapathy Raju

IND vs NZ: India's 3-2 triumph in the preceding T20I contest has provided a positive start to their New Zealand campaign. However, the transition to the 50-over format presents a considerably different challenge, with the visitors entering the ODI leg with several questions surrounding the composition and depth of their bowling department.

While the spotlight will naturally fall on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, whose appearances on this Southern Hemisphere assignment carry added significance, India's depleted pace resources could prove to be a decisive factor in the five-match contest. New Zealand, traditionally formidable in home conditions, will sense an opportunity to exploit the visitors' lack of experience in the fast-bowling department.

Jasprit Bumrah has been rested with the upcoming Test assignments in mind, while Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana remain unavailable. This places considerable responsibility on Mohammed Siraj, who will be expected to lead an attack that lacks substantial international exposure.

In a media roundtable facilitated by Sony, former Indian spinner Venkatapathy Raju stressed on the problems that the Indian team is likely to face given the inexperienced pace battery which will be fielded for the upcoming ODI series.

WC Preparations Demand Greater Exposure

Former India spinner Venkatapathy Raju believes the present situation should also be viewed as an opportunity to establish a dependable pool of fast bowlers ahead of the next 50-over World Cup. Speaking during a media roundtable facilitated by Sony Sports Network, Raju highlighted the importance of balancing international commitments with the need to provide emerging players sufficient opportunities.

According to the former international, India's increasingly congested calendar makes workload management unavoidable. However, protecting established performers should not come at the expense of developing their potential successors.

"The biggest challenge India are facing nowadays is the amount of cricket they play. There is so much cricket, with white-ball matches and several Test series coming up," Raju observed.

He believes the current phase is particularly important for identifying players who can become regular members of India's World Cup plans. Rather than relying excessively on a handful of established names, the selection committee must invest in younger options and allow them to develop through consistent match exposure.

"Injuries are going to be part and parcel of the game. That is why players like Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah are not playing too many matches, and their workload is being managed. The focus now has to be on the young players. We have enough time, so we need to have faith in them and give them as many opportunities as possible," he explained.

Raju also stressed that potential alone would not be sufficient when India eventually arrive at the global tournament. Fast bowlers earmarked for the competition must accumulate meaningful experience in the format before the marquee event.

"Ideally, the fast bowlers you have in mind should play at least 25-30 matches before the World Cup, or as many games as are available," he said.

He further suggested that players who are not involved in Test cricket but are considered suitable for limited-overs assignments should receive priority during the available international windows. Domestic competitions and India A assignments could provide additional opportunities to sharpen their skills.

Raju Backs Kuldeep & Sundar For Managing Spin Department

Beyond the pace department, Raju also drew attention to India's utilisation of their spin resources, particularly Kuldeep Yadav. Despite being part of the national setup across formats, the left-arm wrist-spinner has not featured as regularly as his credentials might warrant.

Raju believes match rhythm is essential for a frontline bowler, particularly when international tours offer limited opportunities for specialised preparation.

The former spinner questioned why a bowler with Kuldeep's international experience and ability continues to have limited opportunities despite regularly featuring in India's squad selections.

"It is surprising that we do not see him play more often. He has been named in the T20, ODI and Test squads, but we hardly get to see him in action," Raju added.

He also emphasised the importance of having adequate cover for Washington Sundar, pointing out that India's preparations cannot depend on the fitness of individual players alone. A dependable reserve option is equally necessary to maintain continuity throughout a demanding international cycle.

Raju's larger concern, however, revolves around the scarcity of meaningful match practice. With touring teams increasingly playing fewer warm-up fixtures, players who specialise in a particular format can struggle to find competitive opportunities outside the international calendar.

"The main bowler needs to be fit and play as many matches as possible. Match practice is extremely important. Unfortunately, teams do not get too many practice matches on tours nowadays," he explained.

Workload Management vs Competitive Preparation

India's scheduling predicament adds another dimension to the series. The final ODI is scheduled for November 15, while the opening Test in Wellington begins on November 19, leaving little room for recovery. Captain Shubman Gill is consequently set to miss the final two ODIs as he shifts his attention towards the longer format.

Gill acknowledged the difficulty of managing the competing demands of the two formats, explaining that the narrow turnaround had prevented India from fielding their strongest combination throughout the series.

The immediate assignment, therefore, is about more than securing another series victory. It offers India an opportunity to assess their emerging bowling options, understand their suitability to overseas conditions and identify the combinations that can withstand the demands of a World Cup campaign.

Raju's observations pointed towards a larger requirement: India needs to move beyond squad selection and ensure their prospective first-choice bowlers receive sufficient opportunities to develop international match temperament.