India aim to clinch ODI series as injury-hit New Zealand face must-win clash

Hamilton: India will look to wrap up the five-match ODI series with two games to spare when they take on New Zealand in the third match at Seddon Park here on Tuesday. Leading 2-0 after back-to-back victories in rain-affected encounters in Auckland and Wellington, Shubman Gill’s side will be keen to maintain its winning momentum, while Mitchell Santner’s hosts face the prospect of another series defeat after also losing the preceding T20I series 2-3.

India’s bowling attack has been the defining factor in the series, with New Zealand struggling to negotiate the visitors’ pace-heavy approach. After being restricted to 185 in the opening ODI, the hosts managed only 134 in Wellington, where Gurnoor Brar delivered a match-winning, career-best spell of 4-30.

Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel also made important contributions, leaving New Zealand’s batting unit with plenty to address before the Hamilton encounter.

Daryl Mitchell has been one of the few positives for the hosts, scoring 55 in the second ODI, while Mitchell Santner contributed 31. However, the inability of the top order to provide a substantial platform has repeatedly exposed the middle order. With the series on the line, players such as Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips will need to shoulder greater responsibility against India’s disciplined seamers.

New Zealand’s preparations have also been disrupted by injuries. Lockie Ferguson has been ruled out of the final two ODIs with a right-calf tear, while Blair Tickner will miss the next two matches after sustaining a blow to his helmet in Wellington and being placed under the mandatory seven-day stand-down protocol.

Kristian Clarke has been brought into the squad as cover, adding another inexperienced option to the bowling group. As a result, New Zealand announced separate squads for the third and fourth ODIs on Monday, while also stating that the squad for the fifth and final match would be named in due course.

For India, the challenge will be to translate their dominance with the ball into a more convincing batting performance. While Virat Kohli’s 74 in the first ODI provided the foundation for victory, the top order failed to deliver consistently in the second match, where the visitors were reduced to 113/7 before rain intervened. KL Rahul’s unbeaten 26 proved crucial in ensuring India stayed just four runs ahead of the DLS par score.

Seddon Park offers India an opportunity to seal the series, but New Zealand will draw confidence from playing at home and will be desperate to produce a more complete performance. A victory for the visitors would clinch the series, while the hosts must win to keep their hopes alive.

Key Details:

When: November 10, Tuesday, 7:30 am IST

Where: Seddon Park, Hamilton

Where to watch: The match will be telecast live on Sony Sports Network channels, with live streaming available on the Sony LIV app and website.

Squads:

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith, Will Young.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan.

(Video Credit: BCCI/X)