India won the toss and elected to bowl against New Zealand in the second ODI of the five-match series at the Hnry Stadium on Saturday.
India lead the series 1-0 after securing a five-wicket victory in the rain-affected opening match at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday. Indian pacers Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar impressed with the ball, dismissing New Zealand for 185 in 40.2 overs. Virat Kohli then anchored the chase with a composed 74 off 51 balls to guide India to victory.
New Zealand suffered a setback ahead of the second ODI, with Devon Conway ruled out of the remainder of the series due to a concussion sustained during a training session before the opening match. Conway had missed the first ODI as well.
Despite the return of Mohammed Siraj to the squad ahead of the match, India opted to retain their playing XI from the opening game as they look to extend their lead to 2-0. New Zealand also named an unchanged side.
After winning the toss, India captain Shubman Gill said, “We will bowl first. No surprises, the conditions are overcast and the wicket was under covers. Yesterday’s practice was called off because of rain, but we have prepared well and are in good spirits. Same team for us.”
New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner said the team would look to post a competitive total despite the possibility of rain.
“Looks like a lovely day to bowl first, but we’ll see how the wicket plays and put up a score. Rain around, it’s been under covers, will do a bit. Need to get over the tricky period. We’re excited, some weather around and we have had a nice rest. They’re a great side, winning the toss does help, but they’ve played well. Same team for us,” Santner said.
Playing XIs:
India: Shubman Gill (c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner.
(IANS Inputs)
