Veteran Rohit Sharma’s form is under scrutiny, but India seem well on course to seal the series against an injury-ravaged New Zealand in the third ODI here on Tuesday even though the seamer-friendly conditions are expected to pose a challenge for the visitors’ top order.
India lead 2-0 in the five-match rubber, but barring Virat Kohli’s majestic knock at Eden Park, none of the other batters, including skipper Shubman Gill and the experienced Rohit, have looked particularly comfortable in conditions that have suited fast bowlers.
For Gill, ensuring a series win will be top of the agenda as he won’t be playing the last two games of the series. He will shift his focus to red-ball cricket to prepare for the opening Test against the Black Caps scheduled to be played in Wellington.
A good knock and a series-clinching win will certainly be a big boost for the skipper before he leads the team in a crucial Test series, leaving Shreyas Iyer in charge of the side for the last two ODIs to be played in Tauranga.
The third game at Seddon Park could well be another rain-curtailed affair and the cold, wet conditions will once again turn the track into a paradise for seam movement and extra bounce, a double whammy for the batters.
Against this backdrop, the 39-year-old former skipper will have to do better than his contributions of 0 and 23 in the first two games of the series.
Rohit, over the last year, has changed his approach and prefers to build a foundation before launching an all-out attack.
The philosophy, a marked shift from his high-risk, high-reward game until the 2023 ODI World Cup, has yielded mixed results.
The conditions in New Zealand so far have warranted a cautious approach, but Rohit hasn’t looked comfortable in either of the two games, unlike Kohli, who looked in sublime touch even during his brief stay in the second ODI in Wellington.
Ajit Agarkar’s departure from the post of chairman of the selection committee has removed the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the white-ball legend’s future. But Rohit needs to score runs consistently in challenging conditions to silence the outside noise, which always gathers momentum after a couple of failures.
While India are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination, head coach Gautam Gambhir might want to revisit his ploy of sending in Axar Patel at No.5 ahead of the far more accomplished KL Rahul, whose brief but classy unbeaten 26 saved the day in Wellington.
The move to send Axar ahead of Rahul was based on the need to have a left-hander in the middle order, with all the top four batters being right-handed.
But Axar’s game isn’t suited to conditions where there is additional seam movement along with disconcerting variable bounce.
Since he is the only specialist spinner in the line-up and none of the top-order batters bowl regularly, Gambhir doesn’t have the option of playing a more flamboyant player like Ishan Kishan at that slot.
Kishan is expected to take over wicket-keeping duties from Rahul in the last two games, with the Karnataka star linking up with the Test squad.
With Auqib Nabi also picking up wickets and Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh delivering the goods, the pace attack has been a smash hit, although the conditions that have suited them must also be factored in.
The Test match is scheduled to be played in 10 days and there is little logic in playing Mohammed Siraj in this game.
As far as New Zealand are concerned, their performance in familiar conditions has been nothing short of underwhelming.
To be fair, Mitchell Santner hasn’t enjoyed the rub of the green as far as the toss is concerned, having lost it on both occasions.
But the manner in which New Zealand’s top order has struggled in the first two games has been worrying, putting considerable pressure on the bowling attack.
The batting has looked like a rudderless ship with Devon Conway’s concussion and Rachin Ravindra’s injury adding to the home side’s woes.
Adding to the problem is the fact that the normally reliable Tom Latham is woefully short of runs.
New Zealand’s top three of Tim Seifert, Will Young and Henry Nicholls have hardly dominated even for a two or three-over phase in the first two games.
As things stand, New Zealand will miss fast bowler Blair Tickner owing to a concussion and Kristian Clarke, who recently played an unofficial Test against India A, has been summoned.
For Latham and Nicholls, the third ODI will also be a final opportunity to get some runs under their belt before joining the Test squad.
Both senior batters have struggled in the first two games and would be keen to regain some confidence ahead of the longer-format series.
Published: Monday, 9 November 2026 | 1:59 PM IST