Veteran Rohit Sharma’s form will be under scrutiny as India look to seal the series against an injury-hit New Zealand in the third ODI here on Tuesday. India lead 2-0 in the five-match series, but seamer-friendly conditions are expected to challenge the visitors’ top order.
Barring Virat Kohli’s impressive knock at Eden Park, none of the other batters, including skipper Shubman Gill and Rohit, have looked particularly comfortable against the New Zealand pace attack.
For Gill, sealing the series will be the priority as he will miss the last two matches to prepare for the opening Test against the Black Caps in Wellington. A series-clinching victory and a good knock would provide a timely boost before the Test assignment, with Shreyas Iyer set to lead India in the remaining two ODIs in Tauranga.
The third match at Seddon Park could witness another rain-affected contest. Cold and wet conditions are likely to assist seam movement and extra bounce, making batting difficult.
Against this backdrop, the 39-year-old former skipper will be eager to improve on his scores of zero and 23 in the first two matches.
Rohit has changed his approach over the past year, preferring to build a foundation before launching an aggressive assault. The shift from his high-risk, high-reward style that defined his approach until the 2023 ODI World Cup has produced mixed results. Although conditions in New Zealand have demanded caution, Rohit has struggled to settle in both games. Kohli, meanwhile, has looked in sublime touch, even during his brief stay in the second ODI.
Ajit Agarkar’s departure as chairman of the selection committee has eased uncertainty surrounding Rohit’s white-ball future. However, consistent performances remain crucial for the senior batter to silence questions following his recent failures.
India are unlikely to change their winning combination, but head coach Gautam Gambhir may reconsider sending Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul at No. 5. Rahul’s unbeaten 26 in Wellington proved valuable, while Axar’s batting may be less suited to challenging seam conditions.
New Zealand, meanwhile, face mounting concerns over their batting. Devon Conway’s concussion, Rachin Ravindra’s injury and Blair Tickner’s absence have weakened the hosts. Kristian Clarke has been called up as Tickner’s replacement. Senior batters Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls will be keen to regain form before joining the Test squad.
Squads:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (C), 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: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.