3rd ODI: Arshdeep comes in as India elect to bowl first against NZ in series decider
Indore, Jan 18
India have brought in left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh as skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in the series decider at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday.
The three-game series is locked at 1-1 and the decider promises a high-stakes contest between India and New Zealand. After winning the toss, Gill said Arshdeep comes back into the playing eleven in place of right-arm pacer Prasidh Krishna.
"That's what we spoke (on the decision to bowl). Last time, batting first, New Zealand put us under pressure. One of the decisions behind we're bowling first is that the surface looks good, don't expect a lot of dew, and runs on the board would let us chase better. Need to vary our lengths in the middle-overs, and that's what we want to do," said Gill.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell said his side was unchanged from their win in Rajkot. "We would have bowled first, but it looks like a good batting pitch. It's a decider and an exciting opportunity for us to win our first ODI series here in India.
"They're getting used to international cricket and have made a good fist of it so far (on the new faces), but the pressure is on now and it's a good chance for them to play their best game," he said.
India will take confidence from their unbeaten record at this iconic venue. The square boundaries are at 62m and 63m respectively, with 71m for the one going straight down the ground.
The black soil pitch has been described in the pitch report as firm and hard underneath, with a covering of grass that should aid pacers. But with little movement anticipated off the seam, batters are likely to enjoy conditions that favour stroke play, pointing towards a high-scoring affair in the series decider.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Mohammed Siraj
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke, and Jayden Lennox
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting toss decision. Batting first and putting up a big total is usually the way to go in Indore. Hope the decision to bowl doesn't backfire. The pressure is really on this young team.
So excited for the decider! Holkar Stadium is a batting paradise. Expecting fireworks from Gill and Kohli. Let's go, Team India! 💙 The series win would be a perfect start for the new captain.
Bowling first is a bold call, yaar. The pitch report says it's hard and good for batting. Hope our bowlers, especially Siraj and the new boy Arshdeep, can pick early wickets. Otherwise, NZ will post a huge total.
As a neutral fan, this is set up to be a cracker of a match. Bracewell's Kiwis have nothing to lose and that makes them dangerous. India's unbeaten record at the ground is on the line. Great for cricket!
Honestly, I'm a bit worried about the middle order. Iyer and Rahul need to step up today. It's all well to have a strong top three, but the series will be decided in the middle overs. Fingers crossed!
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