Gill Confirms India's Top Four For New Zealand ODIs
Mumbai India captain Shubman Gill on Tuesday confirmed the team's top-four batting combination for the upcoming five-match One-Day International (ODI) series against New Zealand, which begins in Auckland on November 4. Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer will occupy the top four positions as India look to establish their batting combinations ahead of a busy international schedule. Gill will captain India in the first three matches before being released from the squad to prepare for the two-Test series later this month. Vice-captain Iyer will take charge for the remaining two ODIs in Mount Maunganui. While the top order has been settled, Gill indicated that India would adopt a flexible approach in the middle order. KL Rahul and Axar Patel are expected to share the No. 5 and No. 6 responsibilities depending on the match situation. Axar, the only left-handed batter among India's top six, could be promoted whenever the team requires a left-right combination. "We will have floating approach for no.5 and no.6. Our top four is set, all right-handers. So if lefty is needed, Axar bhai goes and depending on match situation even KL bhai can go. So, a bit flexible," Gill said. The India captain also provided a positive update regarding his neck discomfort, which had troubled him previously. He confirmed that he had completed batting and fielding sessions without experiencing any problems. Gill will also be keen to improve his record in New Zealand, having scored only 124 runs in five previous ODIs in the country. He has reportedly arranged additional net bowlers at his own expense to ensure quality preparation ahead of the series.
