'India will be very pleased with how things have gone' - Murali Kartik on the Men in Blue’s performances in New Zealand so far

India's tour of New Zealand has delivered strong results for the Men in Blue across both formats. The team secured victory in the T20I series and established a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series. These achievements came despite an exceptionally demanding schedule that tested the squad's resilience and fitness levels.

The Indian team had completed eight games against the West Indies before embarking on their New Zealand assignment. The turnaround between the two series was remarkably tight, with players flying out in batches approximately six to seven hours after the West Indies series concluded. Despite the compressed schedule and travel fatigue, India managed to make an immediate impact in New Zealand.

Murali Kartik, the former Indian cricketer and commentator, highlighted the significance of India's performances given the challenging circumstances surrounding the tour. He emphasised how the team's back-to-back commitments made their success even more noteworthy.

"India will be very pleased with how things have gone. It has been a tough schedule for them. They played 8 games against the West Indies and then the very next morning, in about six or seven hours time, they were flying in batches to New Zealand. For them to come there and win the T20I series and take a 2-0 lead in the ODI series, India will be very pleased with where they are sitting right now," Kartik said.

How did India perform across both formats in New Zealand?

In the T20I series, India won the opening match on October 22, followed by victories on October 24 and October 27. New Zealand claimed the fourth T20I and fifth T20Is, but India's earlier dominance secured the series 3-2.

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The ODI series commenced on November 4 at Eden Park in Auckland and the Asian giants won by five wickets (via DLS method). The second game saw India win a rain-affected encounter by four runs. This result gave India a healthy 2-0 lead in the five-match series. On Tuesday, November 10, the third ODI was abandoned due to rain. The Black Caps can only level the series from this point.