SportsPosted at: Nov 4 2026 7:51AM


India opt to field against New Zealand in first ODI

Auckland, Nov 4 (UNI) India won the toss and elected to field against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the three-match series here on Wednesday.
Captain Shubman Gill said the decision was influenced by overcast conditions, adding that having a target to chase would be advantageous if rain or other interruptions reduced the number of overs.
India have fielded four fast bowlers, with Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh featuring in the pace attack, alongside two all-rounders, Naman and Axar Patel.
Gill said the team had prepared well for the series through a number of practice sessions and was excited to get started after the T20I series.
Describing the ODI series as extremely important in India's preparations for the 2027 World Cup, Gill said the conditions in New Zealand would offer valuable experience ahead of the tournament in South Africa.
"The conditions that we are going to get here would be a lot more similar to the ones in South Africa as compared to other parts of the world," he said.
New Zealand, meanwhile, have made a change at the top of the order, with Tim Seifert coming in for Devon Conway, who is resting after sustaining a head knock on Tuesday.
Seifert will open alongside Will Young, while Henry Nicholls completes the top three.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santaner said the rotation in the squad had provided opportunities to several players, who had responded well with their performances.
He also said Conway was recovering well but would be rested as a precaution.
The ODI series follows the T20I contests between the two sides and offers both teams an opportunity to assess their combinations in the 50-over format.
Teams:
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner
India (Playing XI): Shubman Gill(c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul(w), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh
UNI BDN
Tags: #India opt to field against New Zealand in first ODI
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