NZ vs IND, 1ST ODI: Preview, Live Streaming, Probable XI, Prediction

Gill and Shikhar will open for India [Source: Twitter]

After a lacklustre T20I series, India is all set to take on New Zealand in a riveting 3-match ODI series, starting from Friday.

Rain played spoilsport in the T20I series, with the first game getting abandoned and the final match witnessing a rare tie (on DLS method). But India showed their class in the second match, with Suryakumar Yadav firing all guns blazing to steer India home.

But 50-over is a different format and India have a different captain this time around. With regular skipper Rohit Sharma not part of the tour, Shikhar Dhawan has been given the captaincy duties for the series.

The buildup

With the 50-over World Cup approaching next year, this series provides a perfect opportunity for the Indian management to test the bench strength and identify those players who can be a part of the setup in the longer run. There is a buzz in the town that Sanju Samson wasn't given the chance in the T20I series. He performed well the last time India played an ODI series (against South Africa) and most likely he'll be given a chance to showcase his worth once again.

Shubman Gill has performed exceptionally well in the recent ODI series against West Indies and Zimbabwe, but facing New Zealand is a different Test altogether and Gill should be aiming to stamp his place in the Indian ODI setup.

The bowling attack is inexperienced, but it'll be interesting to see if the likes of Umran Malik gets an opportunity in any of the three games.

On the other hand, New Zealand have their own issues to deal with. The foremost issue is skipper Kane Williamson's form. He has been a pale shadow of himself and he'll be aiming to rediscover his old touch. New Zealand have always been a tough team to beat at home and Eden Park, Auckland is one of their favourite hunting ground.

The Kiwis have always been a really good ODI side and they'll be confident of facing this young Indian side.

Match Details

Date and Time: November 25, 7:00 AM IST

Live Streaming: Amazon Prime and DD Sports

Pitch Report:  Eden Park, Auckland uses a drop in-pitch like some of the grounds in Australia. The square boundaries are short and it is generally a batting friendly surface. The average first innings score here is 247 as compared to 200 batting second. As the game progresses, spinners might come into play.

Predicted XI

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Finn Allen, Kane Williamson (C), Tom Latham (WK), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Jimmy Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Lockie Ferguson

India: Shikhar Dhawan (C), Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar Yadav, Sanju Samson, Rishabh Pant (WK), Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

Prediction

Given the pitch conditions, rain prediction and the short square boundaries, team winning the toss will look to bowl first. However, in the last 5 matches, the team batting first has won 4 out of 5 matches. So in that regards, the team batting first has a greater chance of winning the first ODI.

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