India are leading the three-match series 1-0, after winning the series opener in Vadodara. Nitish slots into the playing eleven after off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar was ruled out of the series due to a left rib injury and will be assessed by the BCCI medical team.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe would actually have preferred to bat first, based on the last few games here. Even yesterday there wasn\u2019t much dew, and the players feel the surface tends to slow down as the innings goes on, so batting first looked the better option. Personally, I felt really good in the last game - the rhythm and fluency were there, and it\u2019s always nice to contribute. Hopefully I can build on that and produce a big one today.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe middle overs were crucial for us last time. They got off to a decent start, but the way we pulled things back \u2013 especially with the fast bowlers picking up wickets in those overs \u2013 made a big difference. It\u2019s not always easy in these conditions, but they mixed up their pace and variations really well,\u201d said India skipper Shubman Gill.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand, meanwhile, have handed a debut to left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox, who replaces leg-spinner Adithya Ashok in the playing eleven. \u201cIt looks like a really good surface, and hopefully the dew comes into play later in the evening, which should make things a bit nicer for batting under lights.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cThe last game was a tight one and I was proud of how the boys fought right till the end. We gave ourselves a chance with a couple of late wickets, and today we\u2019re looking to keep taking wickets through the middle and build that pressure.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of young players in this side, and playing in front of big crowds and all that noise is a great learning experience for them. It\u2019s different conditions for us here, especially with 40,000 people backing the home side, but it\u2019s a challenge we\u2019re really excited about,\u201d said New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Playing XIs<\/p>\r\n\r\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got a lot of young players in this side, and playing in front of big crowds and all that noise is a great learning experience for them. It\u2019s different conditions for us here, especially with 40,000 people backing the home side, but it\u2019s a challenge we\u2019re really excited about,\u201d said New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay (wk), Michael Bracewell (captain), Zakary Foulkes, Jayden Lennox, Kyle Jamieson, and Kristian Clarke<\/p>\r\n\r\n