India will face New Zealand in the 5th and final ODI on Sunday, November 15
Holding the series advantage, the Men in Blue will look to seal the multi-format contest
What will be India's playing XI for the series decider? Check out our prediction
India head into Sunday's fifth and final ODI against New Zealand with the series on the line after a heavy defeat exposed their struggles against seam.
They still lead 2-1, despite Friday's loss being their second-heaviest ODI defeat here.
Matt Henry did most of the damage early. He took three wickets in his opening over as India's batters unravelled in helpful conditions.
The setback has put a spotlight on a flaw that matters well beyond this tour. India need to improve on pace-friendly surfaces because they could face similar pitches at the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa.
Who Replaces Gurnoor Brar?
On Saturday, Gurnoor Brar received his maiden Test call-up after being named in India's squad for the upcoming two-match series against New Zealand.
His departure leaves captain Shreyas Iyer with selection dilemmas for the 5th and final ODI, as Brar will sit out the series decider.
With the BCCI having named no replacement for the single remaining match, the team management faces limited options. Mohammed Siraj emerges as a primary contender for the playing XI; with his vast experience and the ODI World Cup on the horizon, the team will be eager to give him crucial white-ball game time.
However, a tactical catch remains: Siraj is also part of the Test squad, meaning keeping him fresh for the red-ball fixtures is a priority for the team management.
Yash Thakur is also in the fray and could make his ODI debut if the management opts to rest Siraj ahead of the Test series. While Thakur has represented India in four T20Is, he is yet to feature in the longer white-ball format.
Another option for India is to leave out Kuldeep Yadav, who failed to make an impact in the 4th ODI. Kuldeep endured a difficult outing when Will Young took him to the cleaners during his first appearance of the series. Having seen limited action on the tour after being released from the Test squad, the left-arm wrist-spinner will be eager to leave New Zealand shores on a high note if given another opportunity.
India's Predicted XI For 5th ODI
Probable XI: Rohit Sharma, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (c), Ishan Kishan (wk), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Auqib Nabi, Yash Thakur, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh.
