The Indian cricket team suffered a blow after losing to New Zealand in the fourth ODI match. The men in blue faced a “reality check” at Seddon Park in Hamilton after being bowled out for 92.
The Indian cricket team suffered a blow after losing to New Zealand in the fourth ODI match. The men in blue faced a “reality check” at Seddon Park in Hamilton after being bowled out for 92.
Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma hopes to bounce back from the embarrassing defeat in the final ODI encounter in Wellington on Sunday.
After taking a 3-0 lead in the series, the visitors hope to keep the margin 4-1. With the return of MS Dhoni and Mohammed Shami, India will look to end the series on a high note. Shubman Gill will also look to impress after his underperformance at Hamilton.
A look at the predicted XI for the Indian team for the fifth ODI in Wellington:
1. Rohit Sharma
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Rohit Sharma: India’s Hitman and stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma has been in tremendous form in this series.
He scored two back-to-back half-centuries (87 and 62) in the second and third ODI.
Scoring just seven runs in the fourth ODI, he hopes to bounce back and get the team aligned under his captaincy.
(Image: AFP)
2. Shikhar Dhawan
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Shikhar Dhawan: Nicknamed 'Gabbar' by teammates, Shikhar Dhawan has shown some good form in the first two ODIs.
However, the hard-hitting opening batsman went out cheaply in the third ODI. Dhawan didn’t have a great ODI series in Australia, but he has made amends in New Zealand so far.
He managed to score 13 runs with one four and a six but could not help India win. Hope the tides change for the batsman.
(Image: AFP)
3. Shubhman Gill
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Shubhman Gill: Indian team debutant Shubman Gill has been the talk of the town.
The Punjab batsman has scored 1089 runs in 9 first-class matches and 1529 runs in 36 List A matches before getting the India call-up.
The star of the U-19 World Cup in 2018 scored just nine runs in his debut match and needs to make sure he makes the fifth ODI worth the wait.
(Image: PTI)
4. Ambati Rayudu
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Ambati Rayudu: Batting at number four, Ambati Rayudu hasn’t got enough time to show his potential. Getting out for a duck, this batsman has had a mixed series.
However, he has played his role to perfection in the first three matches.
(Image: PTI)
5. MS Dhoni
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MS Dhoni: India have been having a consistent problem in the middle order batting.
After missing the last two matches due to a hamstring injury, the wicketkeeper-batsman is all set to return.
(Image: AFP)
6. Kedar Jadhav
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Kedar Jadhav: Making an impact with the 10 deliveries he faced with a score of 22 runs during the second ODI encounter, Kedar Jadhav is on the run.
Though he managed to score just a run in the fourth ODI, he has had an important partnership of 53 runs with MS Dhoni which helped the visitors to take their score over 320 in the second ODI.
(Image: AFP)
7. Hardik Pandya
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Hardik Pandya: Keeping all the controversies behind and making a fantastic comeback, Hardik Pandya had a spectacular catch and awesome deliveries in the third ODI.
In the fourth ODI, however, he was one of the few batsmen to reach double figures.
Pandya will surely want to make a bigger mark in international cricket as he is known to provide a good balance to the side with his ability to bat and bowl.
(Image: AFP)
8. Bhuvneshwar Kumar
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Bhuvneshwar Kumar: India’s gem and star when it comes to bowling is Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He has bowled at tight line and lengths at a decent economy rate.
He has taken the wicket of opening batsman Martin Guptill in the last three matches. We hope to see his magic continue in the fifth ODI.
(Image: AFP)
9. Kuldeep Yadav
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Kuldeep Yadav: The chinaman bowler, Kuldeep Yadav has been in great form in this ODI series.
He took consecutive four-wicket hauls in the first two matches. His relationship with Yuzvendra Chahal has also help restrict the opposition’s runs by taking wickets in the middle overs.
(Image: PTI)
10. Yuzvendra Chahal
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Yuzvendra Chahal: Known for handling his own TV show for BCCI, Yuzvendra Chahal has been bowling brilliantly since the third ODI against Australia.
He along with Kuldeep (both called KulCha) have given the oppositions nightmares.
(Image: AFP)
11. Mohammed Shami
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Mohammed Shami: When India is in trouble, the one bowler who has come to the rescue has been Mohammed Shami.
Playing non-stop since the first Test against Australia in Adelaide, he was rested in the fourth ODI.
With 7 wickets from three matches, he was brilliant for the visitors. With the pitches assisting the pacers, he will look to add more wickets to his list.
(Image: AFP)
