Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are expected to be the biggest attractions as India begin their five-match ODI series against New Zealand. Originally scheduled as a three-match contest, the series was extended after New Zealand Cricket (NZC) requested two additional games. With two of international cricket’s biggest names featuring only in the ODI format, the extended schedule offers fans in New Zealand more opportunities to watch them in action. The series also serves as an important step in India’s preparations for next year’s ODI World Cup in South Africa.
However, the team will not have its full-strength combination throughout the contest. Captain Shubman Gill will join the Test squad after the third ODI, while KL Rahul will also depart after that match. Nitish Kumar Reddy will leave after the opening game. Consequently, India will have a new captain, vice-captain and four fresh faces in the squad for the final two matches. India’s selectors are also balancing their ODI preparations with the importance of Test cricket.
The team has struggled in the longest format, with New Zealand exposing its weaknesses through a historic 3-0 whitewash on Indian soil. Shubman Gill acknowledged the challenge of managing both formats, explaining that he would have preferred to field the entire World Cup-bound squad for all five ODIs if circumstances allowed.
However, the upcoming Test matches and the closely contested World Test Championship (WTC) standings make player availability equally important. New Zealand will aim to build on their recent success against India after winning their previous ODI series 2-1 on Indian soil earlier this year. Despite missing some key players, the hosts will look to exploit familiar conditions and challenge India’s less experienced bowling attack.
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The conditions at Auckland’s Eden Park could prove decisive. Gill expects good bounce, similar to what players experienced during the T20I series. However, he also highlighted the unusual dimensions of the ground and the cold, windy conditions that could make chasing under lights difficult.
The short straight boundaries, measuring approximately 50-55 metres, could particularly favour aggressive batters. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner also expects bouncy and swirling conditions, revealing that the match will be played on a used pitch. Since January 2020, three of the four ODIs played at Eden Park have been won by the team batting first. The average first-innings score during this period stands at 286, suggesting that winning the toss and choosing to bat could be an important advantage.
New Zealand
New Zealand will be without Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra for the entire five-match ODI series against India. Meanwhile, Devon Conway has been ruled out of the opening match following a training-ground collision with Matt Henry. Captain Mitchell Santner provided an update on Henry, saying the fast bowler “seems okay”. Tim Seifert has been named as Conway’s replacement for the first ODI.
Probable XI: Tim Seifert, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Matt Henry
India
For India, the biggest selection question revolves around Kuldeep Yadav’s place in the playing XI. His potential battle against Daryl Mitchell could be one of the key contests of the series. Captain Shubman Gill has emphasised the importance of having a bowler capable of taking wickets with the old ball during the middle overs.
India also have Gurnoor Brar as an alternative. The tall, quick bowler has impressed Gill, who spoke highly of his abilities during the pre-series press conference.
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir/Kuldeep Yadav, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Mohammed Siraj, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh
