Shreyas Iyer
With the Test series beginning on Nov 19, both India and New Zealand are having to juggle their resources, leaving their ODI combinations considerably different for the final two matches of the five-match series.
The fifth and final ODI is on Nov 15, giving the players just three days before the opening Test in Wellington. The changes also present an opportunity to examine the depth of the ODI squads heading into the 2027 World Cup. India, who lead the five-match series 2-0 after the third ODI was washed out, will be looking to seal the contest.
Both camps have therefore split their resources, with several established players and members of the support staff moving to the Test set-up. The scheduling leaves the teams with little room for manoeuvring. But the absence of regular skipper Shubman Gill, KL Rahul and Anshul Kamboj means the visitors will wear a different look. Iyer, who was Gill’s deputy in the first three matches, will captain the side for the first time in ODIs. The batting order is likely to see some reshuffling. With Gill unavailable, it will be interesting to see who opens alongside Rohit Sharma. The options on that front are Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad, who has batted in the middle order in his last five ODI innings.
Virat Kohli and Iyer provide the experience, while the availability of Tilak Varma gives India another option in the middle order. The team management will be keen to see how these combinations work, particularly with Kishan also expected to take over the wicketkeeping responsibilities in Rahul’s absence. India’s bowling combination will also be worth watching. With Kamboj having moved to the Test camp, Mohammed Siraj could get an opportunity to play in only his second international match since the tour of Sri Lanka in Aug. Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi will shore up India’s pace department. Also, Kuldeep Yadav remains available if India decide to go in with a frontline spinner. The decision will depend partly on the surface, which is expected to be more conducive to batting than the ones in the first two matches. New Zealand, on the other hand, have made several changes to their squad. Test captain Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith and Henry Nicholls have left for red-ball preparations, with Finn Allen, Mitch Hay, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly and Brett Randell coming in. The hosts will also hope the conditions allow their batters more freedom. The first two ODIs were played on seam-friendly surfaces, where the movement and bounce made run-scoring difficult. The weather forecast for Friday is clear, with no rain in the immediate lead-up to the match.