Veteran Rohit Sharma’s form is under scrutiny, but India seem well on course to seal the series against an injury-ravaged New Zealand in the third ODI in Hamilton on Tuesday even though the seamer-friendly conditions are expected to pose a challenge for the visitors’ top order. India lead 2-0 in the five-match rubber, but barring Virat Kohli’s majestic knock at Eden Park, none of the other batters, including skipper Shubman Gill and the experienced Rohit, have looked particularly comfortable in conditions that have suited fast bowlers.
For Gill, ensuring a series win will be top of the agenda as he won’t be playing the last two games of the series. He will shift his focus to red-ball cricket to prepare for the opening Test against the Black Caps scheduled to be played in Wellington. Ajit Agarkar’s departure from the post of chairman of the selection committee has removed the cloud of uncertainty surrounding the white-ball legend’s future. But Rohit needs to score runs consistently in challenging conditions to silence the outside noise, which always gathers momentum after a couple of failures.
The Test match is scheduled to be played in 10 days and there is little logic in playing Mohammed Siraj in this game.
A good knock and a series-clinching win will certainly be a big boost for the skipper before he leads the team in a crucial Test series, leaving Shreyas Iyer in charge of the side for the last two ODIs to be played in Tauranga. The third game at Seddon Park could well be another rain-curtailed affair and the cold, wet conditions will once again turn the track into a paradise for seam movement and extra bounce, a double whammy for the batters. The philosophy, a marked shift from his high-risk, high-reward game until the 2023 ODI World Cup, has yielded mixed results.
