Shubman Gill Wins Toss and Elects to Bowl in Rain-Reduced ODI
India captain Shubman Gill won a delayed toss and chose to bowl Saturday in the second one-day international against New Zealand, a match reduced by rain to 47 overs per side. A wet outfield caused the toss to be delayed by an hour at the venue in Wellington, and both captains indicated they would bowl first in humid conditions on a pitch covered for the last two days.
“No surprises there,” Gill said regarding the decision to field first. Rain fell Saturday morning and dampened the outfield, while forecasts indicated heavier rain and possible thunderstorms later in the day.
Unchanged Lineups for the Wellington Match
Both teams entered the field with unchanged lineups from the first match in Auckland, which India won comfortably by five wickets with 56 balls remaining. That series opener was also affected by rain and featured an innings of 74 by Virat Kohli, who celebrated his 38th birthday in Wellington on Thursday. India previously won the five-match Twenty20 series 3-2.
The visiting India XI features Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, K.L. Rahul, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Arshdeep Singh, Auqib Nabi, and Gurnoor Brar. New Zealand fields Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, and Blair Tickner.
India and New Zealand Captains Compare Squad Lineups
| Team | Captain | Key Batsmen | Series Context |
|---|---|---|---|
| India | Shubman Gill | Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Shreyas Iyer | Won T20 series 3-2; leading ODI series |
| New Zealand | Mitchell Santner | Will Young, Tom Latham, Daryl Mitchell | Trailing ODI series after Auckland loss |
Frequently Asked Questions About the Series
Why was the toss delayed in Wellington?
A wet outfield caused by morning rain delayed the toss by one hour before India captain Shubman Gill elected to bowl.
What were the conditions of the pitch?
The pitch had been covered for the preceding two days amid humid conditions in Wellington.
IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: India Win Toss, Shubman Gill Opts to Bowl First in 47-Over Match; Check Playing XIs and Pitch Reporthttps://t.co/gGttayMorN#INDvsNZ #INDvsNZ2ndODI #IndiaVsNewZealand #ShubmanGill #MitchellSantner #ODICricket #CricketNews #RohitSharma #ViratKohli
How did the first match of the series conclude?
India won the opening one-day international in Auckland by five wickets with 56 balls remaining in a rain-affected fixture.
Worth a look