1st ODI: New Zealand Challenge Awaits India As World Cup Preparations Heat Up (Preview)

ODI World Cup:  India's preparations for the ODI World Cup 2027 are now entering a crucial phase as they gear up for a five-match ODI series in New Zealand, starting Wednesday here at Eden Park.

India's first match in the 2027 World Cup is only a little more than 11 months away, and their ODI series in New Zealand could offer conditions similar to those they can expect in early summer in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia for the global showpiece.

This series is crucial for both teams' preparations, but both are missing some key personnel. India are without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, while the Kiwis will be without Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman, and Devon Conway will miss the first ODI with concussion.

Speaking after the recent West Indies ODI series, India’s ODI and Test captain, Shubman Gill, stated that there was not "much time to experiment" and that he wanted the World Cup combination settled. India are still identifying their bowlers for the global showpiece, as only Jasprit Bumrah looks to be in top form. With Hardik also unavailable, India are left to keep experimenting in the middle order.

Speaking ahead of the first ODI against New Zealand, Gill admitted that the team is open to experimenting at No. 5 and No. 6, although the "top four is set". He highlighted that Axar Patel could be used as a floater, or that KL Rahul could even be moved to No. 5.

He also wanted the ODIs to have been played before the recently concluded T20Is so that India could have fielded their best-choice team for all five matches. The visitors have pulled out some of their first-choice Test players for the fourth and fifth ODIs to let them prepare for the Test matches.

Meanwhile, New Zealand will also be without Rachin and Chapman, both of whom have been ruled out of the series with injuries, while Conway has a concussion after colliding with Matt Henry during training. Both teams have also named separate squads for the first three ODIs and the remaining two matches to give the Test players time to prepare for the Test series.

The ODI series will also be crucial for Rohit Sharma, who has not scored an ODI hundred in New Zealand before. As he has done in the past, he would like to have a few more strong innings under his belt.

The match will be played on a different pitch from the one that hosted the fourth T20I between these two teams recently, in which New Zealand scored 259 in their 20 overs. That could make for a much more competitive contest between bat and ball.

When: November 4, 2026, 7:30 AM

Where: Eden Park, Auckland

Where to watch: The match will be shown live on the Sony Sports Network channels on TV, and live streaming is available on the Sony LIV app and website.

Squads:

New Zealand: Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Tom Latham (w), Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Nathan Smith, Matthew Fisher, Blair Tickner, Tim Seifert, Kyle Jamieson

Squads:

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Article Source: IANS