IND vs NZ, 3rd ODI: Shubman Gill and India eye series-clinching win in Hamilton

India leads the five-match series 2-0 but barring Virat Kohli’s majestic knock at Eden Park, none of the other batters, including skipper Shubman Gill and the experienced Rohit Sharma, have looked particularly comfortable in conditions that have suited fast bowlers.

Updated : Nov 09, 2026 11:14 IST , Hamilton - 4 MINS READ

For Shubman Gill, ensuring a series win will be top of the agenda given he will leave after the game to shift focus for the preparations for the two-match Test series. | Photo Credit: AP

India seems well on course to seal the ODI series against an injury-ravaged New Zealand in the third game here at the Seddon Park even as top order batters will be posed by seamer-friendly conditions.

India leads the five-match series 2-0 but barring Virat Kohli’s majestic knock at Eden Park, none of the other batters, including skipper Shubman Gill and the experienced Rohit Sharma, have looked particularly comfortable in conditions that have suited fast bowlers.

For Gill, ensuring a series win will be top of the agenda given he will leave after the game to shift focus for the preparations for the two-match Test series, leaving Shreyas Iyer in charge of the side for the last two ODIs.

The third game could well be another rain-curtailed affair and the cold, wet conditions will once again turn the track into a paradise for seam movement and extra bounce, a double whammy for the batters.

Against this backdrop, Rohit will have to do better than his contributions of 0 and 23 in the first two games of the series.

Rohit, over the last year, has changed his approach and prefers to build a foundation before launching an all-out attack. The philosophy, a marked shift from his high-risk, high-reward game until the 2023 ODI World Cup, has yielded mixed results.

The conditions in New Zealand so far have warranted a cautious approach, but Rohit hasn’t looked comfortable in either of the two games, unlike Kohli, who looked in sublime touch even during his brief stay in the second ODI in Wellington.

Rohit Sharma will have to do better than his contributions of 0 and 23 in the first two games of the series. | Photo Credit: AP

While India is unlikely to tinker with its winning combination, head coach Gautam Gambhir might want to revisit his ploy of sending in Axar Patel at No.5 ahead of the far more accomplished KL Rahul, whose brief but classy unbeaten 26 saved the day in Wellington.

The move to send Axar ahead of Rahul was based on the need to have a left-hander in the middle order, with all the top four batters being right-handed.

But Axar’s game isn’t suited to conditions where there is additional seam movement along with disconcerting variable bounce.

Since he is the only specialist spinner in the line-up and none of the top-order batters bowl regularly, Gambhir doesn’t have the option of playing a more flamboyant player like Ishan Kishan at that slot.

Kishan is expected to take over wicket-keeping duties from Rahul in the last two games, with the Karnataka star linking up with the Test squad.

With Auqib Nabi also picking up wickets and Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh delivering the goods, the pace attack has been a smash hit, although the conditions that have suited them must also be factored in.

The Test match is scheduled to be played in 10 days and there is little logic in playing Mohammed Siraj in this game.

As far as New Zealand is concerned, its performance in familiar conditions has been nothing short of underwhelming.

Mitchell Santner hasn’t enjoyed the rub of the green as far as the toss is concerned, having lost it on both occasions.

But the manner in which New Zealand’s top order has struggled in the first two games has been worrying, putting considerable pressure on the bowling attack.

The batting has looked like a rudderless ship with Devon Conway’s concussion and Rachin Ravindra’s injury adding to the home side’s woes.

Adding to the problem is the fact that the normally reliable Tom Latham is woefully short of runs.

New Zealand’s top three of Tim Seifert, Will Young and Henry Nicholls have hardly dominated even for a two or three-over phase in the first two games.

As things stand, New Zealand will miss fast bowler Blair Tickner owing to a concussion and Kristian Clarke, who recently played an unofficial Test against India A, has been summoned.

For Latham and Nicholls, the third ODI will also be a final opportunity to get some runs under their belt before joining the Test squad.

Both senior batters have struggled in the first two games and would be keen to regain some confidence ahead of the longer-format series.