India Aims for Series Victory Against New Zealand Amid Rohit Sharma's Form Concerns
India's Quest for Series Win
As India prepares for the third ODI against New Zealand on Tuesday, veteran Rohit Sharma's performance is under the microscope. Despite the challenging seamer-friendly conditions, India is poised to clinch the series against a New Zealand side struggling with injuries.
Leading the series 2-0 in the five-match contest, India has seen Virat Kohli shine with a spectacular innings at Eden Park. However, other key players, including captain Shubman Gill and Rohit, have faced difficulties in adapting to the conditions that favor fast bowlers.
Gill, who will not participate in the last two matches, is focused on securing a series victory before shifting his attention to red-ball cricket for the upcoming Test against New Zealand in Wellington.
A strong performance in this match would provide a significant morale boost for Gill ahead of the Test series, while Shreyas Iyer will take over captaincy for the final two ODIs in Tauranga.
The third ODI at Seddon Park may also be affected by rain, with cold and wet conditions likely to create a pitch conducive to seam movement and extra bounce, posing challenges for the batters.
Rohit, who has struggled with scores of 0 and 23 in the first two matches, needs to improve his performance. Over the past year, he has adjusted his batting style to focus on building a solid foundation before launching aggressive attacks. This change, a departure from his previous high-risk approach, has yielded mixed results.
While the conditions in New Zealand have called for a cautious batting strategy, Rohit has not looked at ease, unlike Kohli, who appeared in excellent form during his brief innings in the second ODI.
The recent departure of Ajit Agarkar from the selection committee has alleviated some uncertainty regarding Rohit's future. However, consistent runs in challenging conditions are essential for him to quell external criticism that often arises after a few poor performances.
India is unlikely to alter their successful lineup, but head coach Gautam Gambhir may reconsider sending Axar Patel in at No. 5 instead of the more experienced KL Rahul, who played a crucial unbeaten innings in Wellington.
The decision to promote Axar was made to introduce a left-handed option in the middle order, given that all top four batters are right-handed. However, Axar's style may not be well-suited to conditions with extra seam movement and variable bounce.
As the only specialist spinner in the team, Gambhir lacks the flexibility to include a more aggressive player like Ishan Kishan in that position. Kishan is expected to take over wicket-keeping duties from Rahul in the final two matches as Rahul joins the Test squad.
With Auqib Nabi and others performing well, India's pace attack has thrived, although the favorable conditions must also be considered. Given the upcoming Test match in ten days, it may not be logical to play Mohammed Siraj in this ODI.
On the other hand, New Zealand's performance in their familiar conditions has been disappointing. Mitchell Santner has faced challenges with the toss, losing both so far.
The struggles of New Zealand's top order in the first two games have placed significant pressure on their bowling unit. The batting lineup has appeared disorganized, compounded by Devon Conway's concussion and Rachin Ravindra's injury, while Tom Latham has also been out of form.
New Zealand's top three batters, Tim Seifert, Will Young, and Henry Nicholls, have not managed to assert dominance even for short periods in the initial matches.
Currently, New Zealand will be without fast bowler Blair Tickner due to a concussion, and Kristian Clarke, who recently played an unofficial Test against India A, has been called up.
For Latham and Nicholls, the third ODI presents a crucial opportunity to regain form before joining the Test squad, as both have struggled in the earlier games.
Squads:
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matt Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Nick Kelly, Tom Latham (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, Nathan Smith, Will Young.
India: Shubman Gill (C), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Mohammed Siraj, Kuldeep Yadav.