Rohit and Virat take center stage as India switch to ODI World Cup preparations in New Zealand
When was the last time India played a five-match ODI series? If your memory is struggling to find the answer to this question, there’s a good reason.
There are two narratives in the administrative world of cricket. One acknowledges that the money lies in T20Is, while the other romanticises the prospect of reviving Test cricket. ODIs are now left as a distant cousin of the two. Not quite overlooked, but not quite a priority either. They are basically the relatives you have to invite to family events.
Enough rambling.
India last played a five-match ODI series in 2018-19 in the build-up to the ODI World Cup 2019. It was, of course, understandable that the pre-tournament format took precedence. But the same has not happened in the build-up to the 2023 World Cup. In fact, with the next edition less than 12 months away, India have no other bilateral five-match ODI series scheduled apart from the series in New Zealand.
And so this mammoth tour of five T20Is, five ODIs and two Tests seems, for lack of a more direct word, rushed.
Think about it. The T20I series ended on 1 Novemberand on November 4, India are back in action for the first ODI.
But we have to move on and be prepared, right? So here we are!
NEW ZEALAND FAN ROHIT AND VIRAT
The crowd at Auckland airport went wild when Virat Kohli arrived. With Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the limelight, this could be the last time New Zealand audiences see the two Indian greats in action on home soil.
Kohli and Rohit were given a glowing farewell from Australia in their final ODI series at the SCG. Adam Gilchrist’s candid interview with these two legends resonated with the crowd at the ground and certainly with the fans watching on TV.
Could a New Zealand tour live up to it? We’ll find out.
HOW WERE THE FORMS OF VIRAT AND ROHIT?
Virat Kohli has been 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 best in ODIs.
The modern-day great has been in breathtaking form in the format, scoring three fifties and two hundreds in his nine innings this year.
Kohli is batting at a career-high 117.94significantly better than his peak numbers between 2016 and 2018. The hyper-aggression at the start of his innings became a new method to his madness and definitely resonated with fans and critics alike.
Earlier this year, when India hosted New Zealand, Kohli scored 93, 23 and 124 to help the hosts secure a dominant 2-1 series win.
Having said that, batting in New Zealand is a different animal. The bounce is higher, the ball goes through touch faster and batsmen have to watch the wind when attempting aerial shots.
In the last three ODI series in New Zealand at home, a total of 300 has been crossed only once. The hosts smashed 344 against Pakistan in 2025, which should give an indication of what the conditions have to offer.
If Virat is the engine of the team, Rohit Sharma has been the spark more often than not. During his captaincy, Rohit mainly dealt with quick starts. His sole focus was to pass the baton to the middle order after dismantling the confidence of the bowlers in the first 10 overs.
But as India switched to Shubman Gill in the ODI format and Rohit began to be judged on a series-by-series basis, that selfless approach has softened. The former India captain was more focused on providing a steady start rather than an explosive one, often playing the role of an anchor at the top.
The fact that Yashasvi Jaiswal was not included in the ODI leg of the tour should also boost Rohit’s confidence.
This series will be important in assessing his reflexes against the faster ball, although a depleted New Zealand pace attack should help him in that endeavour.
INDIA AND THE INJURY OF NEW ZEALAND
Devon Conway to miss 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 in sight, two are currently injured.
With Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna recovering, Gurnoor Brar is the only one of the three to be tested in New Zealand, where short boundaries mean edges can fly over third man and fine leg for a six.
India don’t have Jasprit Bumrah insurance on this trip either 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, a mockery of sorts is taking place at a camp in New Zealand.
Just count their injuries:
Devon Conway: Suffered concussion after colliding with Matt Henry during training at Eden Park. He misses his first ODI.
Rachin Ravindra: He is recovering from a dislocated right shoulder sustained during a promotional shoot. His arm needs more time before it can deploy to full capacity.
Mark Chapman: Rehabilitating a left hamstring injury sustained during his European T20 Premier League stint. A recent MRI showed he needed two more weeks to recover.
Zak Foulkes: Recovering from a hip flexor injury sustained in training at Canterbury.
Will O’Rourke: Dealing with left hamstring and calf injuries. He tore his hamstring during the third Test against England in June before straining his calf in training in August.
Meanwhile, Matt Henry is being assessed for the first ODI.
CAN NEW ZEALAND FIGHT?
Comply with New Zealand at your own peril. We have seen in the last two T20I 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 we must not forget that the ODI format is more forgiving than the T20Is. This gives the hosts more time to readjust, reassess and reapply pressure.
Despite a long list of injuries, New Zealand remain a very good team. Yes, fatigue may play a role, but at least in the first ODI, the contest should be tight.
AUCKLAND PITCH AND CONDITIONS
A bouncy course is expected in Auckland with strong winds forecast for the day. The ground has the least level boundaries of any international cricket venue and that certainly comes into play.
The score should be around 270-310 depending on how the pitch behaves.
But a standard 350 pist surface like the one found on the Indian subcontinent? That is unlikely.
INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND: PREDICTED XI
New Zealand
Will 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.
India
Rohit 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 CONFERENCE
Shubman Gill on his preferred choice of fast bowlers
“When the ball gets old, when there’s not a lot of seam or swing movement, then how do you challenge the batter?” Gill said. “You can challenge the batsman either if there is something in the wicket – if the ball is bending then it is difficult for the batsman to score – or you can challenge the batsman with pace and bounce.
“So identifying the type of bowlers who can make it difficult for the batsmen to score and who can give us the best opportunity to take wickets in the middle overs – that was the idea of trying someone like Gurnoor or Prasidh, which gives us a bit more than someone who bowls at 135 (km/h) when the wicket is flat.
“I’ve played a lot in the middle overs and I’ve seen if those bowlers can hit the right spots – obviously hitting the right areas is key – if tall fast bowlers can hit the right spots, it’s a lot more difficult to score runs than someone who bowls at 135, 130 (km/h).
“You’ve got to be really precise in creating shots. You’ve got to be really on top of your game to score against somebody who’s 140 (kph) plus, who’s 6’1″, 6’2″, 6’3″. And there’s a lot more risk when you try to score freely (against) a bowler like that.”
Mitchell Santner on retaining the Indian batting line-up
“Virat Kohli is the 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 create a good score in the middle and let their power come at the end,” he added.
“Of course Rohit and Kohli have been doing it for a long time. Shubman has also been outstanding in the last five years,” he said.
“If the pitch offers more than last night, can you do it for a long time and attack the batter? And then when it’s flat, how do we change? What does it look like? Subtle field changes,” Santner said.
“But I think there’s not too much mystery with ODI cricket with the bowling. It’s just creating pressure and trying to take wickets that way.”
INDIA VS NEW ZEALAND ODI SQUADS
Team New Zealand: 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.
Indian Section: 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, Kishanj. Ishan
– The end