New Zealand Aims to Avoid Series Defeat Against India in Fourth ODI
New Zealand's Challenge in the Fourth ODI
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand - On November 13, New Zealand will strive to prevent a series loss as they face India in the fourth ODI at Bay Oval, with favorable batting conditions anticipated to aid the home team.
Currently trailing 0-2 in the series, the Black Caps are eager to bounce back and keep their hopes alive, while India seeks to extend their dominance and secure an unassailable lead with another win.
The previous ODI in Hamilton was a missed opportunity for New Zealand, as rain led to the match being abandoned without a ball bowled, allowing India to maintain their 2-0 advantage in the five-match series.
Pressure on New Zealand
With another loss, New Zealand would hand India a 3-0 lead, effectively sealing the series with one match remaining. The last time New Zealand lost a home ODI series was seven years ago against India, and they now face the possibility of history repeating itself.
The Black Caps' impressive streak of 11 consecutive unbeaten home ODI series has come to an end, but they still have a chance to preserve their record by winning the remaining matches in Mount Maunganui.
India's Strong Start
India kicked off the series with a five-wicket victory in the first ODI in Auckland, where New Zealand was bowled out for 185. Arshdeep Singh was the standout bowler, taking four wickets, while Gurnoor Brar contributed three. India successfully chased down a revised target of 143 in just 22.4 overs.
In the second ODI in Wellington, India solidified their lead by restricting New Zealand to 134 runs in 41 overs. Despite facing a challenging chase due to rain, India managed to surpass the revised target of 110 under the DLS method, finishing at 113/7 in 26 overs.
Leadership Changes for India
As they head into the fourth ODI, India will be without their captain Shubman Gill, who has been rested along with KL Rahul as part of a workload management strategy ahead of the upcoming Test series against New Zealand starting November 19. Shreyas Iyer, the T20I captain, will lead the ODI side for the first time.
Iyer, who served as Gill's deputy in the first three matches, now has the chance to establish himself as an ODI captain, although he is looking to regain his form in the format.
Potential Changes in the Lineup
Ishan Kishan is expected to open the batting alongside Rohit Sharma in Gill's absence. With Anshul Kamboj joining the Test squad, Mohammed Siraj may get a chance to play in only his second international match since the Sri Lanka tour in August.
Siraj was instrumental in India's 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, taking 14 wickets in 11 matches. However, his opportunities in the 50-over format have been limited, resulting in only nine wickets in 10 matches since the tournament.
Kohli's Milestone and New Zealand's Struggles
Virat Kohli is just 22 runs shy of becoming the first player to score 2,000 runs against New Zealand in ODIs. Achieving this milestone would place New Zealand among the four teams against which he has surpassed 2,000 runs, joining Australia, Sri Lanka, and the West Indies.
Kohli has also accumulated 18 fifty-plus scores against New Zealand, tying him with Ricky Ponting. A single fifty-plus score would see him surpass Ponting for the most such scores against New Zealand in ODIs.
Conversely, New Zealand continues to struggle with their batting, particularly at the top of the order, averaging just 26.7 runs per dismissal in 2026, which ranks as the third-lowest among Full Member nations.
Squads for the Fourth ODI
New Zealand Squad: Will Young, Finn Allen, Nick Kelly, Tim Seifert(w), Dean Foxcroft, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher, Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Hay, Brett Randell.
India Squad: Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer(c), Axar Patel, Ishan Kishan(w), Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Tilak Varma, Kuldeep Yadav, Kumar Kushagra, Yash Thakur.