New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl first in the fifth and final ODI against India at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 15, 2026.
After winning the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner expressed surprise at the outcome. “I didn’t expect to win the toss. We will bowl first. The pitch looks good, but we expect some rain later, which may lead to some dew,” he said. Santner also noted that Matt Henry and Kyle Jamieson were unavailable for this match, while Jacob Duffy and Blair Tickner returned to the lineup. “You need to rotate players, giving them opportunities, which is beneficial. It’s a World Cup year, so we’re looking to deepen our bowling stocks. The boys have come in and performed well,” he added.
Indian captain Shreyas Iyer shared that his team was also looking forward to batting first. “We noticed that when they were batting, the ball was staying straight and not swinging much. That’s a good sign and gives us confidence to bat first,” he said. Iyer highlighted the debut of Yash Thakur, who has been waiting for this opportunity. He also mentioned Mohammad Siraj, who has been eager to play in all formats and brings valuable experience to the team. “We are very excited for him,” Iyer remarked.
In the previous four matches, India has won two games while New Zealand has secured one victory, with one match ending without a result. India aims to clinch the series 3-1, while New Zealand seeks to level it at 2-2.
India’s playing XI includes Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (captain), Ishan Kishan (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Aaqib Nabi, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammad Siraj, and Yash Thakur.
New Zealand’s lineup features Will Young, Tim Seifert (wicketkeeper), Nick Kelly, Dean Foxcroft, Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Christian Clarke, Blair Tickner, Jacob Duffy, and Matthew Fisher.