NZ look to avoid series defeat with batters set to get a boost

Big picture: New Zealand look to avoid series defeat

The last time New Zealand lost an ODI series at home was seven years ago: to India. That winning streak of 11 series has already ended thanks to two defeats and a no result against the same team, but New Zealand can still stay unbeaten should they win both the matches in Mount Maunganui.

The weather is finally set fair for the two ODIs on Friday and Sunday so we should have uncurtailed matches and more batting-friendly pitches after the seam-friendly ones in Auckland and Hamilton. The batters will again have to quickly revert to traditional ODI batting after two matches of having to mix survival games with heightened attack against anything remotely loose.

We are set for an interesting finale to the ODI series but such is the nature of schedules these days that teams have to compromise some of their focus on the ODIs. There will be just three days between the end of the ODIs and the start of the first Test so India have sent half their coaching staff, their captain Shubman Gill and the impressive seam bowler Anshul Kamboj to the Test camp. Even New Zealand have sent half their coaching staff, Test captain Tom Latham and a few key players to the Test camp. So if India do end up winning the series, will it count as Gill's first overseas win as captain?

Form guide

New Zealand: LLLWW(last five completed ODIs, most recent first) India: WWLWW

In the spotlight: Shreyas Iyer and Tim Seifert

In Gill's absence, Shreyas Iyer, India's T20I captain, will captain for the first time in ODIs. He hasn't had the best of times in the ODIs so far, but who can claim to have had? The bounce has been trampoline-like to go with seam movement through the matches, which has brought the focus back on the short ball against Iyer. Those two matches, though, can't be used as any sort of evidence to suggest a pattern. Iyer will have to put them out of his mind when he goes out to bat on Friday.

This is the longest run Tim Seifert has had in ODIs. He will know it could end there if he doesn't put up a big score in the coming week. The top of the order is usually packed, and this chance has come to him courtesy injuries. He will hope the conditions are reliable enough for him to be able to show his wares in the longer white-ball format as well.

Team news: Siraj to finally get a game?

Finn Allen, Mitch Hay, Dean Foxcroft, Nick Kelly and Brett Randell are the additions to the New Zealand ODI squad as Latham, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Nathan Smith and Henry Nicholls leave. Blair Tickner continues to be unavailable after suffering a concussion during the second ODI, but Matt Henry continues to stay with the squad. He will hope to get some overs in before he links up with the Test team-mates.

New Zealand (probable): 1 Finn Allen, 2 Tim Seifert (wk), 3 Will Young, 4 Nick Kelly, 5 Mitch Hay, 6 Michael Bracewell, 7 Mitchell Santner (capt.), 8 Dean Foxcroft, 9 Kyle Jamieson, 10 Matt Fisher/Kristian Clarke/Matt Henry, 11 Jacob Duffy

Ishan Kishan looks likely to open in Gill's absence. With Kamboj gone to the Test camp, Mohammed Siraj could get to play only his second international match since the tour of Sri Lanka in August. Kuldeep Yadav is still with the ODI squad, which suggests he is an option as well should conditions demand a second spinner.

India (probable): 1 Rohit Sharma, 2 Ishan Kishan, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer (capt.), 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Naman Dhir, 7 Axar Patel, 8 Auqib Nabi, 9 Mohammed Siraj/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Gurnoor Brar, 11 Arshdeep Singh

Pitch and conditions: Better weather at the Mount

The forecast is clear and it hasn't rained on the days leading to the match. However, there has been plenty of it in the week before so it will be interesting to see if the groundstaff have been able to prepare the pitch to their satisfaction.

Stats and trivia

India have won two and lost one of their three ODIs at the Bay Oval. The last four day-night matches at Bay Oval have been won by the chasing side.