Indian captain Shubman Gill wins the toss and opts to bowl in the rain-affected second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington. The match is reduced to 47 overs per side as India leads the series 1-0.
India Opt to Bowl in Wellington
Indian skipper Shubman Gill has won the toss and opted to chase against New Zealand in the second ODI in Wellington on Saturday. The match was interrupted by rain for an hour, resulting in the contest being reduced to 47 overs per side. Led by Shubman Gill, India enter the contest with a 1-0 series lead after securing a five-wicket victory over New Zealand in a rain-affected opening ODI in Auckland via the DLS method. The visitors will now look to carry that momentum forward and take another step towards sealing the five-match series.
New Zealand’s Strategy and Squad Changes
New Zealand, meanwhile, will be keen to bounce back after their batting unit failed to post a competitive total in the series opener. The hosts will look to make better use of home conditions and deliver a stronger all-round performance to level the series. However, they have suffered a setback ahead of the second ODI, with Devon Conway ruled out of the remainder of the series after sustaining a concussion during training. Nick Kelly has been drafted into the squad as his replacement.
Captains Speak at the Toss
“We will bowl first. No surprises, the conditions are overcast and the wicket was under covers. Yesterday’s practice was called off because of rain, but we have prepared well and are in good spirits. Same team for us,” Gill said during the toss.
“Looks like a lovely day to bowl first, but we’ll see how the wicket plays and put up a score. Rain around, it’s been under covers, will do a bit. Need to get over the tricky period. We’re excited, some weather around and we have had a nice rest. They’re a great side, winning the toss does help, but they’ve played well. Same team for us,” New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said.
Team Lineups
Teams: New Zealand (Playing XI): Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner. India (Playing XI): Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.
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