India vs New Zealand 2017: 5 things we learnt from the first ODI in Mumbai

Upon needing to win by a 3-0 margin in order to reclaim the number one ranking from South Africa, India slumped to an emphatic defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the first ODI in Mumbai. From failing to access the pitch properly and calibrating their goal to a dismal effort with the ball, the hosts committed quite a few errors.

The Kiwis, who had arrived into the series on the back of intense preparation, rose to the occasion and sauntered to a comprehensive 6-wicket triumph. If their bowling attack was led adeptly by an in-form Trent Boult, the visitors put on a splendid performance with the bat as well to storm to a 1-0 lead.

Let us take a look at five things that we learnt from the opening ODI between India and New Zealand at the Wankhede Stadium.

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#5 Rohit's recurring issues against left-arm pacers

Rohit has a lot of work to do to prevent Trent Boult from having his number in this series

In spite of expressing his wariness regarding the menace posed by Trent Boult and his incredibly artful swing bowling, Indian opener Rohit Sharma failed to pay heed to his own pre-match words. Once the 28-year old pacer snared Shikhar Dhawan by converting the extra bounce on the surface into a wicket-taking opportunity, the elegant opener could have played true to his customary cautious tendency during the initial phase of the innings.

Extra Cover: India vs New Zealand 2017, 1st ODI - Trent Boult's sizzling spell is SK Turning Point of the match

But Rohit kept offering chances to the Kiwi fielders and lived a charmed life. After an aimless aggressive shot saw him survive by a slender margin, the local lad's luck eventually ran out. To a much fuller and quicker delivery than he would have anticipated, the right-hander inexplicably resorted to an almighty heave and consequently paid the price for his error in judgement. From Pakistan's Mohammad Amir in the Champions Trophy to Australia's Jason Behrendorff and Boult in more recent times, Rohit's weakness against left-arm fast bowlers is becoming more pronounced with every series. With two more ODIs left, the southpaw from New Zealand will fancy his chances against the opener.

#4 Jadhav's spot in jeopardy as India's number four woes continue

Kedar Jadhav is not able to grab his opportunities provided by the team management

More often than not, these bilateral matches serve as opportunities for teams to find their perfect lineup and transform themselves into a well-oiled unit before the big tournaments loom in the horizon. For India, the number four position in the batting lineup has been a problem going on for far too long. Despite the team management's earnest efforts to try different options to fit into the puzzle, no batsman has been able to seal the spot for himself.

Just like in India's previous ODI against Australia at Nagpur, Kedar Jadhav walked in at number four in this match as well. On a pitch where the ball was not coming on to the bat as much as expected, it was imperative for him to adapt his game to the situation and build a platform alongside his captain. After scratching around for runs, the right-hander's painful stay at the crease came to an end due to a soft dismissal. Well past 32 years, his international future is standing on shaky ground. A few more failures could see him sent back into the wilderness.

#3 Bhuvneshwar's improving batting skills

Bhuvneshwar Kumar has added teeth to India's lower-order in recent times

Bhuvneshwar Kumar's cameo with the bat was among the very few positives for India from this match. Even though his impeccable death bowling might be alone to consolidate his place in the playing eleven, the technically solid right-hander has been working on his hard on his batting skills during the course of the last few series. The effort that he had been putting behind the scenes showed during the last few overs of the Indian innings.

Coming into the middle at the fall of Hardik Pandya's wicket in the 46th over, Bhuvneshwar swelled India's total by wielding the long handle in a diligent manner. He managed to smash two massive sixes against the likes of Adam Milne and Tim Southee. A couple of useful boundaries also meant that he finished with a valuable 15-ball 26 during the business stages of the innings. He is turning out to be a rather serviceable option to come in at number eight.

#2 Kohli's tactics under the microscope

Virat Kohli is continuing to rely on MS Dhoni for crucial captaincy inputs

Since taking over the ODI as well as T20I captaincy from Dhoni earlier this year, Kohli has been spotted time and again seeking out his predecessor's help during pressure situations. While there is no harm in utilising the seasoned campaigner's inputs on certain aspects, one cannot help but feel that the 28-year old from Delhi needs to back his own instincts when the chips are down. In this particular match, he was seen having lengthy discussions with the wicket-keeper batsman on possible bowling changes.

With the game hurtling towards the finish line on the back of an immaculate partnership from Tom Latham and Ross Taylor, the need of the hour was to trust the spinners in delivering breakthroughs. More attacking fields could have been set in order to lure the well-set batsmen into committing errors. But the easy ones and twos on offer meant that the duo did not have to take unnecessary risks. Kohli's decision to hold back his two wrist-spinners between overs 35 and 40 did not make much sense.

#1 Latham and Taylor create template against spin

Tom Latham and Ross Taylor tackled India's wrist-spin threat quite brilliantly

During India's previous ODI assignment, the Australian batsmen certainly helped their cause by adopting confused strategies against the turning ball. While their sweep shots did not carry any semblance of conviction, their fallible batting techniques against spin were exploited ruthlessly by the new combination of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal. New Zealand were not expected to do anything different as the warm-up matches as well as the 'A' series highlighted similar deficiencies too.

However, Tom Latham and Ross Taylor not only managed to propel the Kiwis to a clinical victory but also effectively created the template for the other batsmen to deal with the Indian spinner. The left-hander, in particular, impressed with his intelligent shot-selection and assured approach on a dicey track. He swept both wrist-spinner with consummate ease to pile the pressure on skipper Kohli. Taylor, as ever, employed the cut shots to pierce the field and disrupt the spinners' momentum. India need to regroup and come up with different plans for both these batsmen in the next couple of games.