India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first in the opening match of the five-ODI series against New Zealand at Eden Park on Wednesday.
Gill pointed to the overcast conditions and the possibility of a reduced-overs game as reasons for the decision. “We’ll bowl first, bit of overcast weather, and in case there’s a reduction of overs, it’s good to chase,” he said. He also noted that the conditions in Auckland would be similar to those expected in South Africa, where the next World Cup is scheduled.
The visitors named a strong batting core featuring the returns of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the 50-over format, alongside Gill, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), Axar Patel and KL Rahul (wicketkeeper). All-rounder Naman Dhir also earned a place.
India’s bowling attack features four specialist pacers — Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh — marking opportunities for several younger seamers. Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the series.
India’s Playing XI:
Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, made a few changes of their own. Tim Seifert opened the batting with Will Young and Henry Nicholls, while Devon Conway was unavailable.
New Zealand’s Playing XI:
Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner.
The match forms the start of a five-game series. Gill will captain India for the first three ODIs, with Shreyas Iyer taking over for the final two. India arrived in New Zealand after winning the preceding T20I series 3-2.
Toss was slightly delayed due to earlier rain and a wet outfield, but the game was able to get underway. The day-night fixture is scheduled to begin in the afternoon local time (morning IST).
