India won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in the series-deciding 3rd ODI at Holkar Cricket Stadium.
With the three-match series locked at 1-1, both teams entered the finale with everything to play for.
India, led by Shubman Gill, made one change to their playing XI. Arshdeep Singh replaced Prasidh Krishna, strengthening the pace attack. Meanwhile, Michael Bracewell’s New Zealand side remained unchanged, reflecting confidence in their balanced lineup.
India aims to protect their formidable home record, having remained undefeated in bilateral ODI series at home since 2019. The spotlight rests on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. While Kohli has been in fine touch, Rohit is searching for a big score after failing to convert starts in the first two games.
On the other hand, New Zealand are chasing history. The Black Caps have toured India for ODIs since 1989, but have never won a series. With Daryl Mitchell’s stunning knock in Rajkot and Will Young’s composure against spin, the visitors enter the decider with confidence.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox
With both sides determined, fans at Indore can expect a thrilling contest that will decide the fate of the ODI series.
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