Shreyas Iyer makes ODI captaincy debut as India chase series win in New Zealand
India lead New Zealand 2-0 with two games left, and both sides are without players who have gone to prepare for the Test series.
Shreyas Iyer will captain India in a one-day international for the first time on Friday. A win in the fourth match at Mount Maunganui would give India the five-match series against New Zealand, The Hindu and ESPNcricinfo reported.
India lead 2-0 after the third game was abandoned, so New Zealand must win both remaining matches to save the series. The Hindu reported that New Zealand last lost an ODI series at home seven years ago, against India.
Iyer leads the side for the last two games because Shubman Gill has left the squad to prepare for the Test series, which starts on November 19. K L Rahul and Anshul Kamboj have also left to work on their red-ball game. According to The Hindu, Iyer also has something to prove with the bat, with his problems against the short ball showing up again in this series.
With Gill gone, it is unclear who will open with Rohit Sharma, who has scores of 0 and 23 on the tour. The Hindu named Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad as the candidates. Kishan missed most of the T20 series through injury. He made a double hundred as an opener four years ago and is set to keep wicket in Rahul's place. Gaikwad has batted in the middle order in his last five ODI innings and has a hundred and a half-century from his last four.
Mohammed Siraj is expected to replace Kamboj, who had been in form. The Hindu said the senior paceman has not been at his best over the past three months and has not yet bowled in the series. He did take four wickets in an India A match last week. Auqib Nabi, who did well in the second ODI, and Arshdeep Singh will keep their places.
New Zealand are also without several regulars. Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith and Henry Nicholls have turned their attention to Test cricket. ESPNcricinfo's headline said the hosts' batters were set to get a boost. Uncapped Brett Randell joins the squad after consistent domestic performances. The Hindu reported that half of New Zealand's support staff, like India's, has joined the Test group, which is based in Wellington.
Wicketkeeper-batter Tim Seifert, who has not been an ODI regular, said the replacements would do their best. "Whoever steps into the role that the boys have left, everyone's going to try their best as well," he said, as quoted by The Hindu. The paper said Seifert was under pressure to make an impact.
Mitchell Santner captains New Zealand. BBC Sport has published a scorecard page for the fourth ODI, and the fifth and final match will also be played at the same venue before the Test series begins on November 19.
Sources: The Hindu, Shreyas in focus on ODI captaincy debut as modified India look to seal series; ESPNcricinfo, NZ look to avoid series defeat with batters set to get a boost; BBC Sport, New Zealand v India - fourth ODI scorecard.
