India lead the five-match ODI series 2-0, and a win in Hamilton on Tuesday seals it. India took a 2-0 lead with a four-run DLS win in Wellington, though neither victory was comfortable. New Zealand have lost twice in a row, yet the series has not been one-sided.
The second ODI at Wellington ended in a four-run DLS win. New Zealand were bowled out for 134, with Gurnoor Brar taking a career-best 4/30. India were 113/7 in 26 overs when rain arrived, and the match was called off. India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak said the surfaces have kept bowlers in the game.
“No one will make Test adjustments during a white-ball series, but at the same time, the way the wickets were in both ODIs, there was swing, and after five-six overs, when the swing stopped, there was seam movement too, and you could say a little bit of awkward bounce too.”
Kotak said this ahead of the third ODI. He noted that 12-14mm grass on the wickets makes 140-type matches more likely than 300-run ones.
India Probable Playing XI
Rohit Sharma (Opener)
Shubman Gill (Captain, Opener)
Virat Kohli (No. 3 Batter)
Shreyas Iyer (No. 4 Batter)
KL Rahul (Wicketkeeper)
Axar Patel (Spin-bowling All-rounder)
Naman Dhir (Spin-bowling All-rounder)
Anshul Kamboj (Right-arm Seamer)
Mohammed Siraj (Right-arm Seamer)
Gurnoor Brar (Right-arm Seamer)
Arshdeep Singh (Left-arm Seamer)
India fielded four seamers and two finger spinners who are all-rounders at Wellington, a mix that worked very well for them. Gill and KL Rahul leave the squad after this match to prepare for the Test series so the captain may value continuity over rotation. India must decide whether to retain a winning combination or examine their options.
Key Players to Watch from India
Virat Kohli. He made 74 in the first ODI at Auckland, an innings that showed his control of a chase. His Wellington dismissal showed that even the most reliable batter can look ordinary when conditions and bowler agree. On a Hamilton surface that has spent days under covers, his judgement outside off stump will shape how India build an innings.
Shubman Gill. The captain made 37 in the first match and fell first ball in the second. He leaves the ODI side after this game for Test duty, so this is his final chance on the tour to sign off with a score.
Rohit Sharma. Dismissed for a duck at Auckland, the opener has yet to make a substantial contribution. With the 2027 World Cup in mind, he will want runs to avoid scrutiny.
Gurnoor Brar. His 4/30 in Wellington was a career-best. He combines discipline with the ability to extract bounce, and he struck Blair Tickner in the first innings. Anshul Kamboj has offered control, and Arshdeep Singh brings experience and variation. Arshdeep took four wickets in the first game.
New Zealand Probable Playing XI
Will Young (Opener)
Tim Seifert (Opener)
Henry Nicholls (No. 3 Batter)
Daryl Mitchell (No. 4 Batter)
Tom Latham (Wicketkeeper)
Glenn Phillips (No. 6 Batter)
Mitchell Santner (Captain, All-rounder)
Nathan Smith (All-rounder)
Kyle Jamieson (Right-arm Seamer)
Jacob Duffy (Right-arm Seamer)
Mathew Fischer (Right-arm Seamer)
Key Players to Watch from New Zealand
Daryl Mitchell. He made a half-century in the second ODI and has been left to do too much of the rebuilding. He described the Wellington surface at the innings break.
Mitchell Santner. The captain’s lower-order contributions have been useful rather than transformative. His left-arm spin could matter if the Hamilton pitch dries out.
Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy. The pair exposed India’s top order at Wellington, and New Zealand will be encouraged by Hamilton’s conditions. Jamieson removed Rohit Sharma with a delivery wide outside off stump, and Duffy dismissed Gill.
Will Young, Tim Seifert and Henry Nicholls. New Zealand need one of them to bat beyond the first 15 overs. Their top order has not given the middle order enough to work with.
Dream11 Fantasy Tips
Top Batters
Virat Kohli: 74 in the first ODI and India’s most reliable chaser in these conditions.
Shubman Gill: 37 in the opener, playing his final ODI of the tour.
Daryl Mitchell: half-century in Wellington and New Zealand’s most dependable route to a substantial total.
Best All-Rounders
Axar Patel: took the wicket of Mitchell in the second ODI and bowls through the middle overs.
Mitchell Santner: captain, left-arm spin, and useful lower-order runs.
Naman Dhir: looked positive in the middle order at Wellington and offers a second finger-spin option.
Bowlers to Watch
Gurnoor Brar: 4/30, a career-best, with bounce off the surface.
Arshdeep Singh: four wickets in the first ODI.
Kyle Jamieson: troubled India’s top order at Wellington.
Captain & Vice-Captain Picks
Captain: Virat Kohli. He made 74 in Auckland and has the ability to control a chase on a surface where batting is hard.
Vice-captain: Gurnoor Brar. His 4/30 at Wellington was a career-best, and he extracts bounce from these surfaces. Shreyas Iyer, who top-scored with 30 in the second ODI, is a strong alternative.
Pitch Report and Venue Conditions
It has been raining in Hamilton, and the pitch has been under covers for long spells. Preparation has been slow. Seamers from both sides will be keen to bowl on it, and India’s batters face a longer workout after unconvincing displays in the first two games.
Kotak’s read is that the wickets carry 12-14mm of grass, which points to 140-type matches rather than 300-run ones. The series numbers back him. New Zealand made 134 in Wellington, and India were 113/7 in reply.
New Zealand batting coach Luke Ronchi welcomed the bowler-friendly conditions.
“The bowlers have actually got the upper hand; there’s nothing wrong with that. Like traditionally, you go around the world, especially in India, if teams don’t make 400, you’re in trouble, so it’s just ridiculous, so (it’s good) to see the bowlers have an opportunity and get some (helpful) conditions.”
Toss: Gill won the toss and chose to bowl in the second ODI, and Santner said at the toss that it looked a good day to bowl first. Weather remains the wildcard. A forecast of rain during the second match led to a curtailed contest, and Hamilton is again under a wet forecast.
Head-to-Head Record
Matches-125
India – 65
New Zealand – 52
Tied Games – 1
No result – 7
Match Prediction
India are the pick. They have won both matches, and their seam attack has stayed consistent without Jasprit Bumrah. New Zealand’s batting has not given the middle order enough to work with, and home conditions alone will not solve that. Rain is the one variable that could swing the result through DLS.