It’s Gaikwad this time. India in trouble! Duffy strikes. Fuller ball, nips back and Gaikwad goes for the forward drive, but gets a thick inside edge and Seifert takes a nice catch.
India 37/3 in 9 overs
If this, by all indication, is indeed their last and final appearance on New Zealand soil in professional cricket, Kohli and Rohit endured a forgettable campaign. Rohit managed just 30 runs in four innings, which included two dismissals for duck. Kohli, on the other hand, did start off the series with a stunning 74 in Auckland, but scored just 12 more runs in the next three innings, which also included a dismissal for duck.
It’s Fisher again! He gets another huge wicket, and this time Kohli goes. Shorter delivery, outside off and Kohli throws the kitchen sink at it. The top-edge flies and Tim Seifert makes no mistake. He goes to his right, leaps and takes the catch. Kohli goes back for 5 off 7.
India 33/2 in 7.3 overs
Another boundary and it’s Gaikwad again. What a shot! Picks up the shorter length and pulls it disdainfully over mid-wicket…one bounce and over the ropes.
India 33/1 in 7 overs
Fisher strikes and gets the big wicket of Rohit Sharma. New Zealand continued with the fuller length. But this was a tad slower. Rohit flicks it straight to Dean Foxcroft at mid-wicket. He goes back for just 7 off 13.
India 23/1 in 5.3 overs
Two boundaries against Fisher in the second over. The first one was an outside edge, which would have been an easy catch in the slip cordon, but it went for a four. The othet was clipped away towards the vacant mid-wicket area. He has been looking more confident today.
India 21/0 in 4 overs
Rohit Sharma and Ruturaj Gaikwad are at the crease. Jacob Duffy takes the new ball.
Oh…what a start. Beaten! First ball, outswinger and Rohit survives a scare. But the batter responds with a four on the fourth ball, lofted over cover.
India 5/0 in 1 over
India go first, followed by the home team, New Zealand.
Just over 24 hours and we are back in action on the same surface where India were folded for just 89 runs in the chase of 334. Matt Henry, reminding the Indian fans of the 2019 World Cup semifinal match heartbreak, finished with a six-for, which included three wickets in the very first over of the innings. Will India have an answer to Henry today?
India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer(c), Ishan Kishan(w), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yash Thakur
New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Tim Seifert(w), Nick Kelly, Dean Foxcroft, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Kristian Clarke, Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy, Matthew Fisher
He played just four ODIs this year — three against New Zealand at home in January and just one against West Indies last month. He’s back in the XI with India looking to test the bench. He will be supported by debutant Yash Thakur.
“Obviously, Siraj has also been craving an opportunity to play in all formats. He’s been around the team for a while and is pretty experienced. He’s played over the years, so he knows how to go about things,” Iyer said at the toss.
“I am not sure of that, didn’t expect to win. We are going to bowl because of maybe some dew later on. Henry and Jamieson is gone, Duff is back, so four seamers again. It’s about building the depth,” said Santner after winning the toss.
Shreyas Iyer calls tails, but heads it is and Mitch Santner wins the toss. He opts to bowl
Hello and welcome to the Live coverage of the 5th and final ODI of the match between India and New Zealand. Stay tuned for more updates!