When was the last time India played a five-match ODI series? If your memory is struggling to figure out the answer to that question, well, there is good reason for that.In the administrative world of cricket, there are two stories.
One recognises that the money lies in T20Is, while the other romanticises the prospect of a Test cricket revival. ODIs are now left as the distant cousin of the two.
Not quite disregarded, but not quite a priority either. They are essentially the relative you have to invite to family functions.Enough mucking about.India last played a five-match ODI series in 2018-19, in the build-up to the 2019 ODI World Cup.
It was, of course, understandable that priority was given to the format ahead of the tournament. But the same did not happen in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup.
In fact, with the next edition less than 12 months away, India do not have another bilateral five-match ODI series scheduled apart from the New Zealand series. And hence, this mammoth tour comprising five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests feels, for the lack of a more direct word, rushed.Think about it.
The T20I series finished on November 1, and on November 4, India are back in action for the first ODI. But we have to move on and be ready, right?
So here we are!NEW ZEALAND CHEER FOR ROHIT AND VIRATThe airport crowd in Auckland had gone berserk when Virat Kohli arrived. With both Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the spotlight, this could well be the last time the New Zealand audience gets to see the two Indian greats in action on home soil.Kohli and Rohit received a glowing farewell from Australia in their final ODI of the series at the SCG.
Adam Gilchrist's heartfelt interview with the two legends resonated with the crowd at the ground, and certainly with the fans watching on television.Could the New Zealand tour live up to that? We will find out.HOW HAVE VIRAT AND ROHIT'S FORMS BEEN?
Virat Kohli was in sensational form in the ODI series against West Indies. Courtesy: AP There is a good chance that the audience will find Virat Kohli at his very best in the ODIs.The modern-day great has been in rapturous form in the format, having scored three fifties and two hundreds in his nine innings this year.Kohli is batting at a career-high strike rate of 117.94, considerably better than his peak numbers between 2016 and 2018.
Hyper-aggression at the start of his innings has become the new method to his madness, and it has certainly resonated with fans and critics alike.Earlier this year, when India hosted New Zealand, Kohli scored 93, 23 and 124, helping the hosts secure a dominant 2-1 series win.Having said that, batting in New Zealand is a different beast. The bounce is higher, the ball comes through a touch quicker, and batters have to keep an eye on the wind while attempting aerial shots.In New Zealand's last three ODI series at home, a total of 300 was crossed only once.
The hosts smashed 344 against Pakistan in 2025, which should give an indication of what the conditions can offer.If Virat is the engine of the team, Rohit Sharma has more often than not been the spark. During his captaincy, Rohit was primarily concerned with rapid starts.
His sole focus was on handing over the baton to the middle order after dismantling the bowlers' confidence in the first 10 overs.But since India moved on to Shubman Gill in the ODI format and Rohit began being judged on a series-by-series basis, that selfless approach has mellowed. The former India captain has been more focused on providing a steady start rather than an explosive one, often playing the anchor role at the top.The fact that Yashasvi Jaiswal has not been included in the ODI leg of the tour should also act as a confidence booster for Rohit.This series will be important in assessing his reflexes against the quicker ball, although a depleted New Zealand pace attack should help him in that endeavour.INDIA AND NEW ZEALAND'S INJURIES Devon Conway will miss the first ODI.
Courtesy: AP Both teams go into the opening ODI with more injury concerns than ideas.India had a specific set of fast bowlers in mind when it came to preparing for the ODI World Cup. Of the three they had their eyes on, two are currently injured.With Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna recovering, Gurnoor Brar is the only one of the three who will be tested in New Zealand, where the short boundaries mean edges can fly over third man and fine leg for six.India do not have the insurance of Jasprit Bumrah either on this trip and will have to rely on the likes of Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj and Mohammed Siraj during the series.While India are missing three fast bowlers, there is a travesty of sorts in the New Zealand camp.Just count their injuries:Devon Conway: Suffered a concussion after colliding with Matt Henry during a fielding session at Eden Park.
He will miss the first ODI.Rachin Ravindra: Is recovering from a right shoulder dislocation sustained during a promotional shoot. His shoulder needs more time before he can field at full capacity.Mark Chapman: Is rehabilitating a left hamstring injury sustained during his stint at the European T20 Premier League.
A recent MRI showed that he needs another two weeks of recovery.Zak Foulkes: Is recovering from a hip-flexor injury suffered during a Canterbury training session.Will O'Rourke: Is managing left hamstring and calf injuries. He tore his hamstring during the third Test against England in June before straining his calf during training in August.Matt Henry, meanwhile, is being assessed for the first ODI.CAN NEW ZEALAND GIVE A FIGHT?Count New Zealand out at your own peril.
We saw in the last two T20Is of the series that, when things click, New Zealand can be a dangerous side.Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell are in good touch. Mitchell Santner is a sensational operator, and one must not forget that the ODI format is more forgiving than T20Is.
It gives the hosts more time to readjust, rethink and reapply pressure.Despite their lengthy injury list, New Zealand remain a very good side. Yes, fatigue might play a part, but at least in the first ODI, the contest should be a tight one.AUCKLAND PITCH AND CONDITIONSA bouncy pitch is expected in Auckland, with strong winds forecast for the day.
The ground has the smallest straight boundaries of any international cricket venue, and that will certainly come into play.Scores should hover around 270-310, depending on how the pitch behaves.But a standard 350-run surface of the kind seen in the Indian subcontinent? That is unlikely.INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND: PREDICTED XINew ZealandWill Young, Tim Seifert/Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy.IndiaRohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.QUOTES FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCEShubman Gill on his preferred choice of fast bowlers"When the ball gets old, when there is not much seam or swing movement, then how do you challenge the batter?" Gill said. "You can challenge the batter either if there is something in the wicket - if the ball is seaming, then it becomes difficult for the batter to score - or you can challenge the batter with pace and bounce."So identifying the kind of bowlers that can make run-scoring difficult for the batters and that can give us the best opportunity to take wickets in the middle overs - that has been the thinking around trying someone like a Gurnoor or a Prasidh, which gives us a bit more than someone who is bowling at maybe 135 [kph] when the wicket is flat."I have played in the middle overs a lot and I have seen, if those bowlers can hit the right areas - obviously hitting the right areas is the key - if tall fast bowlers can hit the right areas, it is a lot more difficult to score runs than someone who is bowling at 135, 130 [kph]."You have to be really precise with your shot-making.
You have to be really on top of your game to be able to score against someone who is 140 [kph]-plus, who is 6'1", 6'2", 6'3". And there is a lot more risk when you are trying to score freely [against] that kind of bowler."Mitchell Santner on containing India's batting line-up"Virat Kohli is an anchor for them.
Shubman Gill has been outstanding," Santner said, acknowledging the threat posed by India's batting mainstays."Their role is to go pretty hard at the top and then set up a good score in the middle and let their power come in at the end," he added."Rohit, obviously, and Kohli have done it for a long time. Shubman's been outstanding as well for the last five years," he said."If the pitch offers more than the other night, can you do it for a long period of time and challenge the batter?
And then if it's flat, how do we change? What does it look like?
Subtle field changes," Santner said."But I think there's not too many secrets with ODI cricket with bowling. It's just building pressure and trying to get wickets through that way."INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND ODI SQUADSNew Zealand squad: Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Tom Latham (wk), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Matthew Fisher, Blair Tickner, Tim Seifert, Kyle Jamieson.India squad: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Ishan Kishan.- Ends