India Chooses to Bowl First in Crucial ODI Against New Zealand

In the third ODI against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first. With India leading the series 2-0, both teams are keen to secure a win. New Zealand's captain, Mitchell Santner, expressed confidence in their training and made a strategic change to the lineup. This match promises to be an exciting encounter as both teams aim for victory.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 10, 2026, 09:31 IST

India Decides to Bowl First in Hamilton

In a pivotal moment during the third ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand at Seddon Park, Hamilton, Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first. Currently, India holds a 2-0 lead in the series, with the previous two matches significantly impacted by rain. In the first ODI, India's target was revised from 185 to 143, which they successfully chased down. In the second ODI, their chase of 135 runs was also interrupted by rain, but they managed to secure victory by four runs using the DLS method.

New Zealand's Strategy and Team Changes

New Zealand's captain, Mitchell Santner, commented, "We had a productive training session yesterday. The pitch has been covered for some time, so it should offer some assistance. A score of around 180 might have been competitive based on the last game, and we will need to evaluate conditions today." The team has made one change, bringing in Matthew Fisher to replace Blair Tickner.

Playing XIs

India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher.