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3rd ODI updates: Kohli brings up his 50

Sun, 18 January 2026

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19:50

Kohli-Nitish help India recover

Ind 127-4 (24 ovs) vs NZ 337-8 | Scorecard

Foulkes is back in the attack and Kohli and Nitish continue to keep the scoreboard ticking as they pick 5 runs in the over.

Lennox continues and Nitish starts the over with a single.

Kohli brings up his 50 next ball with a single to extra-cover.

Nitish and Kohli then take a single each before two dots to end the over as 4 runs come off it.

Phillips brings himself on and again the batters rotate the strike as 5 runs come off it.

Lennox continues and he gives 5 runs in the over.

Daryl Mitchell now comes in the attack and 10 runs are taken off him as Kohli inches closer to another 50.

Nitish and Kohli keep the scoreboard ticking picking 15 runs in 3 overs.

19:20

Rahul out for 1

Ind 83-4 (16 ovs) vs NZ 337-8 | Scorecard

Time for drinks now.

India are four down and will need a miracle from Kohli and Nitish to take India to victory in Indore.

Clarke continues and he gives just a single in the over as he keeps it tight.

Phillips takes the captain's arm band as Bracewell is out due to an injury.

Lennox continues and the batters take four singles as 4 come off it.

Clarke continues and Kohli starts the over with a single.

Nitish then guides the next ball to third man for a four!

Nitish is beaten next ball as he plays inside the line.

New Zealand then appeal for LBW as Nitish is hit on the pad even as he plays the ball to third man for a single. Not out given, NZ review and lose it.

Next ball Kohli hits it to mid-wicket and scampers for a single. 7 runs come off it.

Nitish Reddy is the new man in and he starts with a dot as a wicket and 1 run comes off it.

Left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox is in the attack now and after a dot, Kohli takes a single,

Rahul then plays two dots before he is a goner. Lennox gets the ball to turn as it stops on the batter after pitching, Rahul plays the check shot straight to cover and he is caught out for 1. India lose their 4th wicket.

19:02

India lose third wicket against run of play

Ind 70-3 (12 ovs) vs NZ 337-8 | Scorecard

KL Rahul is the new man in and he is off the mark with a single off a uppish flick to mid-on.

Kohli then takes a single towards points before Rahul plays two dots to end the over as a wicket and 2 runs come off it.

Clarke continues and Shreyas starts the over with a dot.

Short ball next and Shreyas then pulls it straight to mid-on and he is out for 3. India lose 3 wickets inside 12 overs.

Jamieson continues and after a dot, Kohli cuts the ball to cover point for a single.

Shreyas then lets the next ball go to the keeper.

Shreyas then plays the next ball to cover point. He then plays the ball to mid-on for another dot.

Shreyas then cuts the ball to deep point for a single as 2 runs come off it.

Kristian Clarke is in the attack now and after two dots, Kohli plays a cracking drive through covers for a four!

Erring in line now and Kohli meets the ball on the full and flicks it through backward square leg for another four.

A dot later, Kohli flicks the ball to square leg for another single as 9 runs come off it.

Jamieson continues and Shreyas starts the over with a quick single to cover point.

A dot later, Kohli flicks the ball to mid-wicket for a four!

Kohli then leaves the next ball. He then plays a dot.

A quick single to end the over as 6 come off it.

18:52

India lose 2nd wicket

Ind 51-2 (8 ovs) vs NZ 337-8 | Scorecard

Foulkes continues and after two dots, Kohli and Shreyas take a single each off the next two balls.

Kohli then latches on to the overpitched ball and creams it through covers for a four!

Kohli is beaten on the outside edge off the last ball of the over as 6 runs come off it.

Shreyas is the new man in and Jamieson makes the batter play and miss as it's bowled in that corridor.

A dot to end the over as a wicket and 5 runs come off it.

Jamieson continues and after a dot, Kohli gets the inside edge to the leg side for a single.

Short and wide next and Gill cuts it past backward point for a four!

Jamieson then gets the next one to nip back and goes through Gill's defences to crash into his stumps. Gill is out for 23.

Foulkes continues and he starts with a wide.

A dot later, Gill takes a single to third man.

Kohli then gets off the mark with a single to the leg side.

Gill then takes a single before Kohli brings the crowd on its feet with a pull to the mid-wicket boundary for a six!

A single to third man to end the over as 11 come off it.

Kohli is the new man in as Jamieson continues.

Gill starts the over with a single to long leg.

Rohit then plays three dots before he is beaten by a peach! The ball moves at the very last keeps Kohli guessing.

A dot to end the over as just one comes off it.

18:26

Foulkes removes Rohit for 11

Ind 28-1 (4 ovs) vs NZ 337-8 | Scorecard

Foulkes continues and Gill cuts it straight to backward point for a dot.

Gill then plays the next ball to third man for a single.

A dot later, Rohit goes after the scrambled seam delivery, edges it and is dropped by the keeper on 7.

Overpitched ball next, Rohit leans in and hammers it through extra cover for a four.

Rohit doesn't make the most of the reprieve and is out next ball. A soft dismissal as he chips the ball straight to mid-on. He is out for 11 and India lose the first wicket.

Jamieson continues and he starts with a dot.

Jamieson bowls a ball that comes in and Gill plays it to the leg side for a dot.

Gill then plays the ball to point, a misfield and there is a misunderstanding between Gill and Rohit, they avert a run-out.

Gill then short am jabs the next ball to mid-wicket for a for a four.

Back-to-back fours now as Gill flicks the next ball off his pads to deep square leg for a boundary.

Gill then gets a single to the leg side as 9 come off it.

Foulkes opens the attack at the other end and he starts with a no ball while Gill is off the mark with a single to the leg side.

Free-hit next and Rohit lofts it over the infield for the ball to fall in no man's land towards long off for a couple.

A dot later, Rohit guides the ball to third man for a single.

Gill then cuts the ball to point for a dot. Gill then comes down and eases into the drive as he caresses the ball through covers for a four.

A single to end the over as 10 come off it.

Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill come out to chase 338 for victory while Jamieson opens the attack for New Zealand.

And Rohit is off the mark with a four off the first ball of the innings as he creams the full and wide ball through covers.

Rohit then sees off five dots as 4 come off the opening over.

17:46

Mitchell, Phillips tons propel the Kiwis after early wobble

NZ 337-8 (50 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana took three wickets each but centuries from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips took New Zealand to 337 for eight against India in the third and final ODI in Indore on Sunday.

Mitchell struck his second consecutive century of the series to make 137 off 131 balls with 15 fours and three sixes, while Phillips hit nine fours and three sixes to score 106 off only 88 balls.

The two revived New Zealand with a 222-run stand for the fourth wicket after the Kiwis had slumped to 58 for three, with Arshdeep taking two wickets upfront.

While Arshdeep returned 3/63 from his full quota of overs, Rana was expensive, giving away 84 runs from his 10 overs for three wickets.

Towards the end, skipper Michael Bracewell hit an 18-ball 28 not out with three sixes and a four.

Jamieson is the new man in as Bracewell is on strike for the final over. India penalised with an extra fielder in the circle.

Siraj to bowl the final over and Bracewell starts with two dots.

And another dot as he mixes up his deliveries.

Another dot as Bracewell can't put it past the in-field.

Right in the arc next ball as Siraj bowls it in the slot, bowling on the leg stump and the batter flicks it for a six!

Boundary to end the innings as the ball ricochets off Rahul's gloves to the boundary. 10 runs come off the final over. NZ put on 337 for 9 in their 50 overs.

Rana continues and Bracewell starts the over with a boundary over extra cover.

Bracewell then takes a single.

Clarke then hammers Rana for a four and a superb six over deep mid-wicket.

Full and fast ball next and Clarke misses it and is bowled out for 11 off 5 as 15 runs and a wicket come off it.

Kristian Clarke is the new man in and he is off the mark with a single.

A dot later and a failed review for LBW later, Bracewell lofts the full ball over deep mid-wicket for a six!

A dot and a single to end the over as 8 come off it.

Arshdeep is back in the attack and he strikes first ball as Foulkes scoops it straight to leg slip and he is out for 10.

Rana is back in the attack and Foulkes starts the over with a glance to fine leg.

Bracewell then digs out the yorker and the ball rolls out to long-on for a single.

A single later, Foulkes plays the ball down for a couple as Kohli cuts it at the boundary.

Foulkes then takes a single to the leg side before Bracewell ends the over with a six over deep square leg as 11 runs come off the over. 300 up for New Zealand.

17:15

Phillips, Mitchell, Hay back in the hut inside 14 balls

NZ 293-6 (46 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Zakary Foulkes is the new man in and he is off the mark with a four as he gets low and laps the ball to fine leg for a four!

Foulkes and Bracewell then take three singles as 8 runs and a wicket come off it.

Kuldeep is back in the attack and he has Hay struck in the middle on the pads in an attempted sweep, big shout for LBW. Umpire raises the finger. Hay reviews and loses it as ball tracking shows wickets hitting. Hay is out cheaply.

New Zealand lose their third wicket in three overs.

Mitchell Hay is the new man in and he is tentative to begin with, playing three dots.

Hay then gets off the mark with a flick to backward square leg, he gets a couple.

Hay then digs out the yorker for a dot as a wicket and 2 runs come off it.

Siraj continues, Mitchell tries to go big one, only to miscue and the ball flies off the top edge. Kuldeep runs in from the deep and takes a catch on the on side. Mitchell is out for 137.

Kiwi captain Doug Bracewell is the new man in and after dot, he pulls the ball towards long on and is off the mark with a single.

Arshdeep bowls it on the leg side as he sees Mitchell move across the stumps. The ball runs to the fine leg boundary as Mitchell gets a fine edge. The umpire first says bye and then signals boundary.

A dot later, Mitchell gets a single to long on as 6 runs and a wicket come off it.

Arshdeep continues and Phillips goes after a slower ball and is caught behind for 106. Arshdeep breaks the 222-run stand.

Siraj is back in the attack and Phillips and Mitchell start the over with a single each off the first two balls.

Siraj then appeals for a caught behind. Phillips reviews as the replay shows there was no connection between ball and bat. And the umpire is made tpo reverse his decision.

Short and wide and Phillips cuts it hard through backward point for a four!

Full toss next and Phillips hits it to long on for a single.

Another full toss and Mitchell hits it hard towards point and Rohit gets his finger tips to it but the ball runs to the boundary. 11 runs come off it.

16:51

New Zealand up the ante

NZ 266-3 (42 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Arshdeep is back in the attack and he bowls it wide and Phillips slashes it to deep point for a single. 200 partnership up between Mitchell and Phillips.

Mitchell then takes a single to backward point.

Phillips then takes a single to deep backward point.

Wide yorker next and Mitchell plays it to sweeper cover for a single.

Phillips then smacks the slower full toss ball to deep cover for a four. He is on 99 now. Phillips brings up his century with a pull to the leg side. His 2nd ODI century.

Kuldeep continues and Mitchell starts the over with a six down the ground!

Mitchell then sweeps the ball to fine leg and he takes a single even as a no-ball is called and a wide is given down the leg side.

Free-hit next and Phillips makes the most of it as he hits to cow corner for a four!

Phillips then goes inside out and lofts it over long off for a six!

He then takes a single to long on.

A dot later, Mitchell cuts it straight to backward point for a dot as 19 runs come off the over.

Jadeja continues and Mitchell takes a single to long-on to start the over.

Phillips then smashes the full ball over long-on for a six!

Phillips then takes a single next ball.

A dot later, Mitchell drives the ball down the ground for a four. 1 to end the over as 13 come off it.

Kuldeep is back in the attack and the batters take four singles in the over.

Jadeja continues and after a dot, Phillips and Mitchell take 5 singles in the over.

Rana continues and Mitchell and Phillips hammers him for three boundaries in the over as 15 come off it.

16:29

His 3rd ton in four innings

NZ 201-3 (36 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Jadeja continues and Mitchell starts the over with a single to square on the off side.

A dot later, Phillips takes a single to the off side.

Michell then brings up his 9th ODI century with a single to the off side -- his 3rd century in four innings. 200 up for New Zealand.

Phillips then takes a single to long-off before a dot to end the over as 4 come off it.

Rana is back in the attack and he starts with a juicy half-volley that is driven straight down the ground for a four by Phillips!

A dot later, Phillips takes a single to mid-wicket.

Mitchell then takes a single to square leg.

A dot later, short and wide ball and Phillips cuts it through backward point for a four as 10 come off it.

Jadeja continues and he gives just four singles in the over.

Nitish continues and he gives six singles in the over even as Phillips completes his 6th ODI half-century.

16:10

Mitchell-Phillips put on an unbeaten 119-run stand

NZ 177-3 (32 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Jadeja continues and Phillips starts the over with a single to sweeper cover.

A dot later, Jadeja oversteps and no-ball called.

Free-hit next and Jadeja bowls it short and wide and Mitchell cuts it past point for a four!

Mitchell and Phillips then take a single each before a dot to end the over as 8 come off it.

Nitish continues and Mitchell and Phillips start the over with a single each off the first two balls.

Short ball next and Mitchell pulls it past mid-wicket for a four!

Short ball again and Mitchell pulls it to deep square leg for a single.

Phillips then gets a single to mid-wicket.

Mitchell then ends the over with a couple to mid-wicket, the first brace of the innings. 10 come off the over.

Ravindra Jadeja is in the attack now and Mitchell and Phillips start the over with a single each off the first two balls.

A dot later, Mitchell sweeps it to deep square leg, Nitish puts in the dive but can't keep it from going to the boundary.

A dot later, a single to end the over as 7 come off it.

Time for drinks.

New Zealand need a move on even though Mitchell and Phillips have put on an unbeaten stand of 94.

Will NZ go after the spinners in the next 21 overs?

Nitish continues and Mitchell starts the over with a single to long on.

A dot later, Phillips takes a single to mid-on.

Mitchell then takes a single to long on.

Phillips then hits the ball straight down the ground for a four!

A short ball next and Phillips pulls it over the keeper who is standing up, the ball races to the fine leg boundary as 11 come off it.

15:49

India pacers giving no freebies

NZ 141-3 (28 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Arshdeep continues and after a dot, Phillips takes a single to mid-off.

Mitchell then times the ball nicely to mid-wicket where Shreyas does well to get to the ball and keep it down to just a single.

Phillips then hits the ball straight down the ground for a six!

Phillips then pulls the ball to mid-wicket for a single.

Mitchell ends the over with a pull to deep backward square leg for a single as 10 come off it.

Siraj continues and Mitchell starts the over with a single to long on.

Two dots later, Phillips hits his first boundary of the match as he lofts the ball over mid-wicket for a four!

He then takes a single before Mitchell ends the over with a dot as 6 come off it.

Arshdeep is back in the attack, the length ball is hit to the off side for a single.

A short bouncer next and Mitchell evades.

Full and on the pads next and Mitchell just guides it off his pads to fine leg for a four!

Two dots later, Mitchell flicks the ball to deep square leg for a single as 6 come off it.

Siraj continues and after four dots, Mitchell and Phillips take a single each as 2 come off the over.

15:32

Phillips gets a life

NZ 117-3 (24 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Reddy continues and he starts with a short ball as Mitchell pulls it over cow corner for a six to start the over.

A dot later, Mitchell takes a single to mid-wicket.

A dot later, Phillips miscues and the ball flies and Harshit tries to get under it but can't get the ball in his outstretched hands. The batter gets a single.

A single to sweeper cover to end the over as 9 come off it.

Siraj is back in the attack and after a dot, Phillips takes a single towards point.

Three dots later, Mitchell takes a single to long-on and that brings up their 50-run stand. Just 2 runs come in the over.

Nitish continues and the batters take 5 singles in the over.

Kuldeep continues and Mitchell starts the over with a dot.

He then takes a single to backward square leg.

Two dots later Phillips takes a single past the non-striker.

Mitchell then brings up his half-ton, with a four to fine leg. 100 comes up for New Zealand. 6 runs come off it.

15:12

India bowlers keep it tight

NZ 95-3 (20 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Nitish continues and Mitchell starts the over with a drive to long on.

A dot later, Phillips drives the ball to cover for a single and scampers for a single.

Two dots later, Mitchell plays the ball to backward square leg for a single as 3 come off it.

Kuldeep continues and he starts with a flighted full ball that Mitchell plays to cover for a single.

Two dots later, Phillips drives the ball to cover for a single.

A dot later, Mitchell plays the ball to long-on for a single as 3 come off it.

Nitish continues and Mitchell starts the over with a single to long on.

A dot later, Phillips takes a single to long-on.

Mitchell and Phillips then drive the ball to long on for a single each.

Mitchell ends the over with a single to long on again as 5 runs come off it.

Kuldeep Yadav is in the attack now and Mitchell starts the over coming down the track and hitting the flighted ball down the ground for a six!

A full toss next and that is a dot.

Mitchell then hits the next full toss for a single to mid-wicket.

Phillips and Mitchell then take a single each before a dot to end the over as 9 come off it.

14:55

Rana takes two

NZ 75-3 (16 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Nitish Reddy is back in the attack and KL Rahul comes up to the stumps.

Phillips starts the over with a single to sweeper cover.

Rahul up at the stumps forces Mitchell to bat deep inside his crease.

After two dots, Mitchell and Phillips take three singles as 4 runs come off it.

Time for drinks and after an hour an 15 minutes of action, it is India on top after deciding to bowl first but Mitchell is looking good in the middle.

Rana continues and after a dot, Phillips takes a single to square leg off the inside edge.

Short ball and Mitchell pulls it to deep square leg where Nitish Reddy puts in the dive but fails to keep the ball inside the boundary.

Mitchell and Phillips then take a single each.

A dot to end the over as 7 come off it.

Siraj continues and he gives just three runs in the over as he keeps it tidy.

Glenn Phillips is the new man in and he is off the mark with a single to point.

Short ball next and Mitchell swivel pulls it past square leg for a single.

A dot later, Phillips takes a single to mid-wicket and dashes across for a single.

A dot to end the over as a wicket and 3 runs come off the over.

Rana continues, he bowls short and wide and Young cuts it straight to Jadeja who takes a sharp catch at backward point. Young is out for 30 off 41 as Rana breaks the stand.

14:37

Young out for 30

NZ 61-3 (13 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Glenn Phillips is the new man in and he is off the mark with a single to point.

Short ball next and Mitchell swivel pulls it past square leg for a single.

A dot later, Phillips takes a single to mid-wicket and dashes across for a single.

A dot to end the over as a wicket and 3 runs come off the over.

Rana continues, he bowls short and wide and Young cuts it straight to Jadeja who takes a sharp catch at backward point. Young is out for 30 off 41 as Rana breaks the stand.

14:30

NZ batters begin to find their feet

NZ 58-2 (12 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Siraj continues and Young starts the over with two dots.

He overpitches next and Young creams straight down the ground for a four even as he deflects off the stumps at the other end to bring up the 50-run partnership.

Two dots later, Young plays the ball to the off side and scampers for a single.

Rana is back in the attack and Mitchell does well to drive the ball and beats the fielders on the off side as the ball races for a four. 50 comes up for New Zealand.

A dot later, Mitchell drives it to cover and scampers for a single as Gill puts in a dive.

A dot later, Mitchell taps the ball down to short third man and takes a single.

Mitchell then mistimes the drive for a dot as 6 come off the over.

That is the end of the Powerplay and that was dominated by India who took two early wickets and managed to keep Young and Mitchell quiet.

Siraj continues and after a dot, Jaiswal does well at short third man to cut the boundary and deny Mitchell any runs.

Short and wide next and Mitchell cuts it past point for a four!

Another dot next. Mitchell then drives the ball to Kohli at mid-off and scampers for a single as the ball bobbles in Kohli's hand. A dot to end the over as 5 come off it.

Arshdeep continues and Mitchell pulls the short ball for a single to long leg.

A dot later, Arshdeep bowls it slightly short and wide and Young stands tall and punches it through backward point for a four!

A dot later, a fuller ball on the pads and Young flicks it through square leg for a four, beating Siraj at the boundary.

Young is beaten on the outside edge off the last ball of the over as 9 come off it.

14:13

Mitchell, Young steady Kiwi ship

NZ 33-2 (8 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Mohammed Siraj in the attack now and he starts with a dot.

Mitchell then drives the ball to Gill at mid-off who misfields, allowing the batters to sneak in a single.

A dot later, full ball, scrambled seam and Young tries to swipe it across the line and is beaten.

Two more dots to end the over as just one comes off the over.

Arshdeep continues, he bowls it on middle and leg and Mitchell drives it nicely through mid-wicket for a four!

Mitchell then taps the ball down and Young calls for a quick run and they scamper for a single.

Two dots later, Young got an inside edge onto his pads for another dot.

A dot to end the over as Young drives the ball to mid-off. 5 come off the over.

Rana continues and he starts with a short of good length ball on middle and off and Young starts with a solid block.

Young then plays and misses as Rana gets the ball to seam away.

Another dot later, Young rides the bounce and ramps the short and wide ball over backward point for a six! First maximum of the day.

Two dots to end the over as 6 come off it.

Arshdeep continues and the fuller ball seaming away, Young lets it go.

Young then plays the next ball to mid-on for a dot.

He then guides the ball to third man for a single.

Arshdeep then cuts the batter in two as the cross seam ball draws Mitchell in, and he is beaten.

Mitchell then punches the ball through covers as he gets on his toes and he gets a boundary.

A dot to end the over as 5 come off it.

13:54

Arshdeep, Rana get a wicket a piece

NZ 16-2 (4 ovs) vs Ind | Scorecard

Rana continues and after two dots, slightly short and Young gets on his toes and hits it through covers for a four!

Young then gets a single past deep backward point.

Rana gets some swing as he bowls on the pads and Mitchell plays it straight to mid-wicket for a dot. Another dot to end the over as 5 come off it.

Arshdeep continues and he bowls a maiden. He keeps the ball fuller and thereabouts, as Mitchell plays out the over watchfully.

Daryl Mitchell is the new man in. Rana bowls a wide ball next.

A dot later, Mitchell gets a single as Shreyas puts in a dive to keep it down to just a single.

Short and wide next and Young leans into it and creams it to covers for a four!

A dot later, Young plays it to mid-on and calls for a single, Kuldeep is on the ball and throws at the stumps but misses. Mitchell was a goner if he'd hit. 6 runs and a wicket come off the over.

Harshit Rana opens at the other end and he strikes first ball as Conway pokes at the ball that angles in and moves just a bit and it lands straight to Rohit at first slip. He is out for 5. New Zealand lose their 2nd.

Will Young is the new man in and he starts with two dots as 5 runs and a wicket come off it.

Devon Conway and Henry Nichols make their way to the middle as they are set to open the batting for New Zealand, while Arshdeep is ready to open the attack for India.

A dot to start. Width on offer next ball and Conway cuts it square past backward point, to open his and the team's account.

A single next ball before Arshdeep strikes!

A good length ball, nips away from off, Nicholls was caught in two minds and makes a late call to let it go before chopping on and he is out for a first-ball duck.

13:26

Arshdeep comes back in place of Prasidh Krishna

Indian captain Shubman Gill has won the toss and elected to bowl against New Zealand in the 3rd ODI in Indore on Sunday.

Gill said that India had one change with Arshdeep Singh coming in for Prasidh Krishna, while NZ captain Doug Bracewell revealed that his team will go unchanged.

Gill said his team needs to up the ante in the middle overs to try and restrict the Kiwi batters on this smallish ground.

Pitch report suggests the deck has some grass on it but plenty of runs. There is little dew factor that will come into play.

Playing XIs:

India: Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill(c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj

New Zealand: Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Hay(w), Michael Bracewell(c), Zakary Foulkes, Kyle Jamieson, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox

India's absolute dominance at home will come under examination when they meet a determined New Zealand in the decisive third ODI at the high-scoring Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday, with the three-match series locked at 1-1.

India have not lost a bilateral ODI series at home since March 2019, when Australia overturned a 0-2 deficit to win 32, including the decider in Delhi. But that history is now firmly on the line.

For New Zealand, the context is equally compelling.

The Black Caps have toured India for bilateral ODIs since 1989 but have never won a series in India and this is arguably their best opportunity to break that barren run.

India head coach Gautam Gambhir would not like another tumbling at home under his regime after getting a number of unwanted firsts. India lost five Tests at home under Gambhir apart from losing an ODI series in Sri Lanka for the first time.

India's defeat in the second ODI at Rajkot was shaped less by one extraordinary innings than by how New Zealand seized control of the middle overs.

Daryl Mitchell's unbeaten century was built on calculated aggression, particularly against spin, an area where India have been struggling of late.

Indore, with its short boundaries and minimal assistance for bowlers, offers even less margin for error.

India's ability to tackle spin has raised questions. Despite depth and power, the side has continued to show discomfort against spin in the middle overs. Strike rotation has stalled at key phases, forcing batters into high-risk options rather than controlled accumulation.

On a ground where totals can quickly spiral beyond 350, those quiet overs can decisively tilt the momentum.

Will there be a RoKo show?

Much of the spotlight will be on Rohit Sharma, who is enduring a lean run in this series. His ultra-aggressive approach at the top has been a defining feature of India's recent ODI philosophy, but repeated early dismissals has added a bit of pressure.

Virat Kohli, meanwhile, remains the fulcrum around which India's ODI batting revolves. With India's next 50-over assignment for senior players likely to come in July during the tour of England, the fans would hope for another RoKo show.

Selection balance

The choice between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ayush Badoni is effectively a debate between depth and control.

Reddy adds seam-bowling insurance, though used sparingly, and late-innings power, while Badoni offers a tighter technique against spin and composure in the middle overs.

The case for including left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh also gains weight at Indore, where variations rather than raw pace often determines success.

Arshdeep's ability to swing the new ball, attack the stumps and execute yorkers at the death offers India a different tactical dimension, particularly against New Zealand's largely right-handed top and middle-order.

His inclusion would also reduce the burden on the spinners in the middle and late phases, allowing India to rely more on pace-off deliveries, wide yorkers and hard lengths methods better suited at Holkar Stadium than spin.

New Zealand has oodles of confidence and clarity. Mitchell's dominance, supported by Devon Conway, has reflected the Black Caps' ability to identify match-ups and execute without overreach.

Their bowlers, though lacking headline names, have used variations and hard lengths effectively in conditions offering little natural assistance.

At a venue where bowlers are often reduced to do damage control, the contest is likely to hinge as much on decision-making as it is on skill.

For Shubman Gill and his side, the challenge is not just to win a series, but to demonstrate tactical flexibility and situational awareness traits that define successful teams when margins are thin and pressure is real.

3rd ODI updates: Kohli brings up his 50

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