Punjab Newsline,Sports:
Gill’s key call in the decider, Holkar Stadium set for a high-scoring contest
The third and final ODI of the three-match series between India and New Zealand is being played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first in the all-important series decider. Left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh has been brought back into the playing XI, replacing right-arm fast bowler Prasidh Krishna.
With the series locked at 1-1, the final ODI carries high stakes for both sides. Explaining the decision at the toss, Gill said that New Zealand had put India under pressure while batting first in the previous match. Keeping that in mind, India decided to bowl first. He added that the surface looks good for batting, there is not much expectation of dew later in the evening, and chasing a target could be more manageable. Gill also stressed the importance of varying lengths during the middle overs to control the scoring rate.
New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell said his team went in unchanged from their victory in Rajkot. He mentioned that although they would have preferred to bowl first, the pitch appears to be good for batting. Bracewell described the match as an exciting opportunity for New Zealand to secure their first-ever ODI series win in India. He also spoke about the younger players in the squad, saying they have adapted well to international cricket so far, but the pressure of a series decider will test them.
India will take confidence from their unbeaten record at the Holkar Stadium, a venue known for producing high-scoring matches. The square boundaries measure 62 metres and 63 metres, while the straight boundary is around 71 metres, making it a favourable ground for aggressive batting.
According to the pitch report, the black soil surface is firm and hard underneath, with a light grass covering that could assist pacers early on. However, with limited seam movement expected, batters are likely to enjoy good conditions for stroke play. All signs point towards a run-filled encounter in the series decider.
Playing XIs
India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox.