.BERRYBEAT.

The Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot has earned a reputation as a graveyard for bowlers. If cricket had a place where bowlers come to struggle, this flat, sun-baked pitch would top the list. As Team India faces New Zealand in the 2nd ODI today, the focus shifts from who will win to how India’s pace attack will survive on a pitch that offers almost no help.

With the T20 World Cup 2026 starting on February 7, the countdown has moved from months to days. As Team India arrives in Rajkot for the 2nd ODI against New Zealand, the focus shifts beyond just winning the series.