Three changes India could make for fifth ODI against New Zealand
India will take on New Zealand in the fifth and final ODI of the series at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 15. The visitors have won the first two matches and currently lead the five-match series 2-1, with the third game ending without a result due to rain.
New Zealand posted 333/8 in the fourth ODI and bowled India out for 89 in 26.4 overs, a 244-run defeat. Matt Henry picked up six wickets for 27 runs, including the dismissals of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer in the first over. The loss has put India’s batting and team combination under the spotlight ahead of the final match. The team will also be without Gurnoor Brar, who has joined the Test squad after taking nine wickets in three matches in the ongoing ODI series.
One area India could address is the opening slot. Ruturaj Gaikwad scored five in the fourth ODI after opening and has 334 runs in 13 ODIs at an average of 33.40 and a strike rate of 85.20. Tilak Varma, a left-handed batter with 68 runs in five ODIs at an average of 22.66, could replace Gaikwad. Another option mentioned is Ishan Kishan opening alongside Rohit Sharma.
Mohammed Siraj is available for selection and could bolster the pace attack; he has taken 77 wickets in 51 ODIs at an average of 25.67 and an economy rate of 5.15. Siraj has not played an ODI in this series so far, but his experience could help India’s pace unit.
India could also reconsider the balance of their seam options by giving Yash Thakur an opportunity in place of Auqib Nabi. Nabi claimed two wickets in the fourth ODI but conceded 59 runs in his eight overs at an economy rate of 7.37. Thakur is yet to make his ODI debut, so the final match could offer him an opportunity to test himself at the international level. Nabi’s two wickets in the previous match mean dropping him would be a selection decision based on the team’s overall bowling plans rather than a completely poor performance.
Mohammed Siraj could replace Gurnoor Brar, who has joined India’s Test squad, as India seek to make the right changes and finish the series with a win in Mount Maunganui. The fifth ODI will be played on November 15, 2026, at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui.
