The Men in Blue lock horns with Kiwis for the decider as Kane Williamson-led New Zealand won the toss and invited India to bat first in the final ODI of the three-match series at the Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Wednesday (November 30).
While India skipper didn't tinker with the previous playing XI, Kiwi captain Kane made one change to his final eleven. He dropped Michael Bracewell to fit in star speedster Adam Milne in New Zealand's playing XI. The toss was delayed briefly due to a slight drizzle but no overs were lost.
With New Zealand leading the series 1-0, it will be a task cut out of Dhawan's men to at-least level the series by grabbing a hold on the final match of the New Zealand assignment. The second ODI was washed out in Hamilton on Sunday following two rain interruptions.
“You always go with the mindet of winning. We are relaxed in the dressing room and are switching on whenever needed. We're just sticking to the processes. More grass on this surface, would have liked to bowl as well but we need to bat well. Last game I thought it would seam a lot, but it played well. Shubman has batted well, even Surya. It's about being positive and creating momentum. Same team,” India skipper Dhawan said before the match.
“We're gonna have a bowl first. Obviously the overhead conditions and green tinge, so. All our grounds are a bit different. It was a good team performance (in the first ODI), put under pressure and we responded well. The surface here generally has a lot of bounce. One change - Milne comes in for Bracewell,” Kiwi skipper Kane said after winning the toss.
India's playing XI: Shikhar Dhawan(c), Shubman Gill, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant(w), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Deepak Chahar, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh, Yuzvendra Chahal.
New Zealand's playing XI: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Kane Williamson(c), Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham(w), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Matt Henry, Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson.
