India vs New Zealand: Sunil Gavaskar feels MS Dhoni will replace this player in 5th ODI

In the absence of Virat Kohli and injured MS Dhoni, India suffered an eight-wicket loss in the fourth One-Day International (ODI) against New Zealand on Thursday. 

Kiwi pacer Trent Boult ran through the Indian batting line-up as the tourists were bowled out for a poor total of 92 - their seventh lowest overall in the 50-over format and teir lowest total in New Zealand. 

After the openers, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan failed, the middle-order collapsed like nine pins. From Ambati Rayudu, Dinesh Karthik, Kedar Jadhav to Hardik Pandya, none of those guys showed character during the crisis situation. 

Following the match, Sunil Gavaskar said that if Dhoni is fit ahead of the fifth ODI, he could replace Karthik in the playing XI as Shubman Gill, who scored just nine on his debut, deserved another chance. 

"My feeling is that they will have Dhoni come in place of Karthik. This is probably the one change that I can foresee. About the other changes, it will totally depend on the kind of pitch that they see. I don’t see too much changes coming up. Shubman will certainly get another opportunity.

"His (MS Dhoni) experience comes in very handy, of course, the fact that he has got so much experience, he can pace his innings. If wickets have fallen early, then MSD is a kind of a player who will make sure that he hangs in there and accelerate towards the end of the innings. So yes, I think experience comes in very very handy no question about it. If a batsman at the other hand sticks around with him, he will add valuable runs for the team," Gavaskar said on Star Sports. 

Having already won the five-match series, 3-0, India lost the fourth match and will look to end the series on a high by clinching the final game, that has been scheduled to played on Sunday at Wellington.