IND vs NZ first ODI in Auckland on November 4, 2026: New Zealand target ‘Ro-Ko’ as India struggle with a thin pace unit
India and New Zealand meet in the first of a five-match ODI series in Auckland on November 4, 2026, with New Zealand focused on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli while India faces a depleted pace attack. The series opener comes amid India’s selection compromises as they manage workloads ahead of a closely scheduled Test campaign.
India’s touring pace options are limited because Jasprit Bumrah is being preserved for Test matches, and Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana remain weeks away from an international return, leaving Mohammed Siraj to carry extra responsibility. The remaining specialist fast bowlers — Arshdeep Singh (18 ODIs), Gurnoor Brar (9), Anshul Kamboj and Auqib Nabi (one each) — have a combined 29 ODIs of experience. With the five-match series concluding on November 15 and the first Test beginning in Wellington on November 19, skipper Shubman Gill confirmed workload management and that he will miss the last two ODIs: "If there had been a gap between the ODI series and the Test series, we would have had the opportunity to play all five matches. But because there is a very short gap between the ODIs and the Test matches, we will have to manage the workload," Gill said.
India’s top five batting is largely settled for the ODIs, with Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill as openers, Virat Kohli at No. 3, Shreyas Iyer at No. 4 and KL Rahul at No. 5. All-rounders Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy (available only for first ODI) are pencilled in to rotate between six and seven, and the management expects to use Anshul Kamboj’s power-hitting at No. 8 in Harshit Rana’s absence.
Eden Park’s unusually short straight boundaries — reported at around 55 metres — have influenced India’s bowling plans, with a requirement for three seamers such as Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar. Kuldeep Yadav, described in the piece as "the highest ODI wicket-taker in the current team with 201 scalps," is available for selection, though the article notes that "the absence of a Hardik Pandya makes it very difficult for him to make the cut."
Shubman Gill underlined the strategic importance of wickets in the middle overs and the fielding restriction between overs 11 and 40, saying: "In the middle overs, it is very important to have a wicket-taking option. I don't know how many overs of spin will be required on this ground, considering the straight boundary and its dimensions. The straight boundary distance is around 55 metres which is ridiculously short as far as international standard is concerned," Gill said. "But keeping the World Cup in mind, having a strike bowler in the middle overs, whether a spinner or a fast bowler, who can take wickets for us in those conditions, is very important. "Otherwise, you only have four fielders outside the circle. Even if your power-play goes well, the game can quickly slip out of your control when you don't take wickets in the middle overs. That has definitely been a problem for us," he added.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged his side’s veteran profile, saying: "Everyone's kind of 34 or 35. With one-day cricket being in the cycle, after this World Cup, the focus is going to shift again to T20 cricket, with the T20 World Cup being the next priority as well. So, yeah, I guess no one's told me anything yet, but it could be," said the 34-year-old. The squads named for the first ODI are: India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vc), KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, Naman Dhir. New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Tom Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham (wk), Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Matthew Fisher, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Nathan Smith.
Match Starts at 7:30 am IST. Published - November 03, 2026 02:11 pm IST
