With captain Virat Kohli rested for the last two One-day Internationals, deputy Rohit Sharma takes over the reigns with India having wrapped up the series against New Zealand. It is a momentous occasion for Rohit, for whom the match in Hamilton will be his 200th in the format.
Rohit has a good record as a stand-in captain and would aim to tighten the noose around New Zealand in what could be another batting-friendly track at Seddon Park. A 4-0 lead will be India’s biggest series win [across formats] in 52 years of touring New Zealand. The visitors’ first tour of New Zealand was in 1967.
For India, the two remaining matches is an ideal platform to once again test its bench strength. The status of MS Dhoni’s hamstring injury is not known but according to team officials quoted by PTI, the former India captain should take the field in the 4th ODI. A final call on Dhoni’s availability, though, will be taken before the toss on Thursday.
The calls for India to include the immensely talented Shubman Gill in the lineup has gathered steam. Gill played at no 3 during India U-19’s World Cup win in New Zealand last year, where he was adjudged the Player-of-the-tournament. If the team management are going for a like-for-like replacement for Kohli, Gill could well be that option.
Many observers of the game have found a striking similarity in the 19-year-old batting style with Kohli. “I wasn’t even 10 percent of what he [Shubman] is when I was 19,” Kohli had said after India’s series win in Mount Maunganui.
Following Kohli’s effusive praise, Shastri and Sharma might just give Gill a go and check if he can also be an option at no 4, where Ambati Rayudu has done a decent, if not spectacular, job so far. In case both Gill and Dhoni are included, Dinesh Karthik could miss out.
The bowling department also looks settled with Kuldeep Yadav (8 wickets in 3 games) and Yuzvendra Chahal (6 wickets in 3 games) accounting for 14 wickets so far in the series.
But Mohammed Shami, who has won back-to-back Player-of-the-Match awards, could be given some rest, taking his workload into account. In case Shami is rested, Khaleel Ahmed or Mohammed Siraj could be given another chance to stake their claim for the reserve pacer’s slot available in the World Cup.
For New Zealand, everything seems to have gone haywire since the start of the series. Skipper Kane Williamson admitted that his side have been outplayed by a clinical Indian side.
Their Achilles Heel has been the inability to read Kuldeep and Chahal, who have inflicted the maximum damage. Shami has also been lethal in his first spell. Williamson has got starts but has not been able to convert them into big scores. Martin Guptill, an otherwise dangerous player, has also not been able to survive the new ball.
Tom Latham and Ross Taylor have also failed to create in impact in the middle-order. In the bowling department, the incisive Trent Boult has lacked support and Lockie Ferguson is far from a finished product. With all-rounder Jimmy Neesham added to the squad, he could well feature in the playing XI.
Squads
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, MS Dhoni (wk), Dinesh Karthik, Hardik Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shubman Gill, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj, Ravindra Jadeja.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Todd Astle, Trent Boult, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham (wk), Colin Munro, Jimmy Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, and Ross Taylor.
Match Starts at 7: 30 am (IST)
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