A surprising week of ODI and Test action awaits fans in the year of the T20 World Cup. India, after a brilliant 5-0 series whitewash in the shortest format of the game, take on New Zealand in what will be the first match between these sides in ODI since the heartbreaking World Cup semi-final in 2019. The Kiwis slumped to an embarrassing series loss at home and will want to make amends in a format they have had fairly good success lately. That said, they still miss a few key players which could affect their best squad make up. India, meanwhile, were dealt with a blow as they lost Rohit Sharma to injury two days before the series.
Watch out for:
Mohammed Shami
The Indian pacer is a menacing ODI bowler now with a wide array of skills to excel across phases of an innings. He finished 2019 as the highest wicket-taker in the format and in 2020 has seven wickets in three matches already. He was on fire in the T20I series too and will be backed upon to come good in the fifty-overs format this tour.
South Africa in for another embarrassment?
They have a change in leadership, with Quinton de Kock taking over the mantle. But with a 1-3 loss in the Test series at home, South Africa head into the ODIs where their opponents are the world champions. Can it get any tougher for the hapless Proteas? They have a new-look squad too with Kagiso Rabada and Faf du Plessis rested and will likely be under the pump from the word go against a strong England limited-overs side.
Watch out for:
Quinton de Kock
The wicket-keeper batsman has been South Africa's shining light in distress with runs under pressure in the Test series and a good ODI record in recent times. Will captaincy affect him though? The wicket-keeper batsman has three half-centuries in four matches as captain of the Proteas across formats, an indication of how he might just be spurred on by the additional responsibility.
Pakistan on a spree of matches at home
Even as talks of South Africa visiting in March loom, Pakistan are hosting Bangladesh for a Test series with the first Test at Rawalpindi set to get underway this week. The series is scattered across two months with the first Test to start on February 7th and the second two months later (yes, two months, not a typo) in April. In between, there's a one-off ODI as well. Bangladesh aren't pushovers anymore in the longest format and will be expected to challenge Pakistan in their home soil.
Watch out for:
Tamim Iqbal
The Bangladesh opener hit the highest first-class score in Bangladesh soil this week as he made a triple hundred - 334 for East Zone against Central Zone - in Mirpur. The left-handed opener is a key figure in the Test side where Bangladesh woefully miss the all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan. This was just the second triple ton by a Bangladeshi player in first-class cricket and the side will hope that Tamim carries forward this form to Pakistan.
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Feature image courtesy: AFP / Michael Bradley
