Punjab Newsline,Sports :
Series begins at Kotambi Stadium; Pant ruled out, Jurel drafted in as both teams test new combinations
In the first match of the three-match ODI series, India won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand at the Kotambi International Stadium (BCA) in Vadodara. The match also marked the beginning of Shubman Gill’s stint as India’s captain in the ODI format.
India suffered a major setback ahead of the series opener as wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant was ruled out of the entire series due to a right-side strain injury. He has been replaced in the squad by Dhruv Jurel, who will take on the responsibility behind the stumps and add depth to the middle order.
All eyes will once again be on senior batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, both of whom are in excellent form across international and domestic cricket. Kohli, in particular, is closing in on several personal milestones and will be eager to make a significant contribution with the bat in this series opener.
After winning the toss, captain Shubman Gill explained the team’s approach, saying that India wanted to try different combinations, especially keeping Indian conditions in mind. He noted that bowling second often becomes challenging due to dew, which influenced the decision to bowl first. Gill added that the pitch looked good and batting was expected to become slightly easier in the second innings. He also highlighted that most players are coming into the series after playing the Vijay Hazare Trophy and are in good form, which has helped maintain a calm and positive team environment.
India have gone in with six bowling options. The spin attack includes Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Kuldeep Yadav, while the pace department features Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna and Harshit Rana.
New Zealand, on the other hand, are fielding a relatively inexperienced side and will be keen to challenge the hosts. Stand-in captain Michael Bracewell, leading the team in the absence of Mitchell Santner, said that his side would also have preferred to bowl first but were happy to bat. He added that the team has adapted well to the conditions through quality net sessions. Bracewell described the series as an important one for New Zealand, especially with a World Cup scheduled in India. He also confirmed that debutant Kristian Clarke is playing his first ODI, while Adithya Ashok will lead the spin attack for the visitors.