India wins toss, bats in 5th ODI vs. New Zealand
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — India won the toss and elected to bat on Sunday in the fifth one-day cricket international against New Zealand at the Wellington Regional Stadium.
Stand-in captain Rohit Sharma said India was keen to test itself again in hot conditions which are likely to assist New Zealand's swing bowlers.
India was bowled out for 92 in the fourth match of the series at Hamilton on Thursday when the ball swung substantially and Trent Boult took 5-21. Sharma said India had done well in similar conditions in the past but needed to increase the experience of their batsman against the swinging ball.
He said it was important in such conditions to understand "what will be a fighting total."
India made three changes to its lineup for the match. M.S. Dhoni returns after missing the third and fourth matches with a hamstring strain, displacing Dinesh Karthik. Mohammed Shami returns in place of Khaleel Ahmed to lead the bowling attack and Vijay Shankar takes over from spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand made only one change, forced by injury. Opener Martin Guptill is unable to play because of a back injury, allowing the return of Colin Munro who was dropped for the fourth match.
India leads the five-match series 3-1.
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New Zealand: Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Kane Williamson (captain), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Colin de Grandhomme, Todd Astle, Matt Henry, Trent Boult.
India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Shubman Gill, M.S. Dhoni, Ambati Rayudu, Vijay Shankar, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami.
Umpires: Shaun George, South Africa, and Wayne Knights, New Zealand.
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