New Zealand vs India: Player battles - Part 2 

India is set to begin their tour of New Zealand which consists of 5 ODIs and 3 T20Is, on January 23rd, Wednesday at Mclean Park, Napier. The home side is in good form having thrashed Sri Lanka on home turf and come into this game on the back of terrific batting performances.

The visitors, meanwhile aren't lacking for form themselves having ended a successful, historic tour down under with a 2-1 series win in the ODI format as well. India needs to be wary of Australia's neighbors and this will be a true test of strength and character on foreign soil, one which India desperately need with the World Cup fast approaching.

The game, no doubt will be a cracker of a contest with the two sides settled at the top and with the ball but still trying to find the right combination in the middle. Amidst all the team effort, this game will also be about the individual battles and contests between players.

In Sportskeeda's Player Battles, we bring to you the exciting contests between players that you need to keep your eye on.

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#1 Shikhar Dhawan vs Tim Southee

Tim Southee will surely not let Dhawan score easy runs

Shikhar Dhawan's tussle with New Zealand's opening bowler Tim Southee will be one to watch out for on match day. Gabbar hasn't been in the best of form but knowing him, he just needs one good innings to get back into the groove and that is exactly why Southee will be crucial in stopping Dhawan's advances.

In the 6 ODIs they have played against each other, Dhawan has always struggled against Southee and hasn't scored many runs off him while being dismissed twice, once in 2014 and another time in 2017.

But a lot has changed since the two sides last met each other in 2017 and Southee should expect a different kind of class from Dhawan than what he got from the Sri Lankan openers. His late swing will be crucial to his success and it'll be interesting to see who will come up trumps in this player battle.

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#2 MS Dhoni vs Mitchell Santner

MS Dhoni is in prime form and this battle with Santner will be one to watch out for

MS Dhoni taking on Mitchell Santner will be an intriguing battle to watch. Both of them returned to playing for the national side after a long break and both of them had successful returns to the team.

Dhoni, in particular, silenced his critics with his well paced knocks in the ODI series against Australia and proved that despite that brute hitting ability being toned down, the 'finisher' hasn't lost his ability to finish off chases. Him batting at number 4 seems to be a good idea for India though it does alter the team balance.

Why he is being pitted against Santner is because he is most likely to come in during the middle overs as both the openers will be hungry for runs and even if they don't, King Kohli is in prime form and he can score runs as well. Though most people will be looking at Ish Sodhi, who has been the Kiwis' primary spinner, Dhoni has actually struggled to get going against Santner and Santner has had him once before this game.

The clever all-rounder will come in more of a dark horse and with his tight lines and tricky lengths, he can feed off the pressure created by Sodhi. Dhoni has struggled against wrist spinners in the past and has got over it but finger spinners might be a problem and it will be a battle worthy of watching.

#3 Martin Guptill vs Mohammed Shami

Mohammed Shami after taking a wicket

Martin Guptill has been in red-hot form in the Sri Lanka series and India will want to dismiss him cheaply if they want to get an upper hand. While Bhuvi with his swinging deliveries will be a threat, Mohammed Shami's advent in the ODI side has been a big positive for the Indian team after resting Bumrah.

Shami has blended the seam movement and pace very well. Guptill has been befuddled by a quick change in pace before and Shami offers India a route go deep into the Kiwi batting order.

He picked up 5 wickets in the 3 ODIs against Australia and though this might be lesser when compared to Bhuvi's, Shami might just be the X-Factor for India in the New Zealand tracks and this battle between Guptill and Shami will be an interesting one to watch.

#4 Dinesh Karthik vs Ish Sodhi

Ish Sodhi

Dinesh Karthik looked in good touch in the ODI series despite not making many runs. He scored a vital 26 in the 2nd ODI to finish the game off for India but if the situation asks for it, he might be forced to come out early one of these times this series and he might have to face New Zealand's new-found strike bowler, Ish Sodhi.

Karthik is a very good player of spin and if wickets fall early, he might actually come in to bat before Kedar Jadhav and if settled, he can be a threat and New Zealand will want to get him out quickly.

Sodhi had him under control in the Eliminator in IPL 2018 and despite not picking up his wicket, Karthik could feel the pressure that Sodhi was creating. Sodhi's lanky figure, high release points, sharp turn, and tight lines have confused many top class batsmen in the recent past. Though most people don't see the possibility of this, Karthik might very well have to square off against Sodhi and it promises a good contest.