50-Over Leg Launches at Eden Park: Following a high-scoring five-match T20I leg, the bilateral tour shifts to the 50-over format as New Zealand host India in the 1st ODI at Eden Park, Auckland on Wednesday, November 4, 2026! The series marks the return of veteran stalwarts [[/fighter/rohit-sharma/40787/:Rohit Sharma]] and [[/fighter/virat-kohli/40791/:Virat Kohli]] to the ODI setup alongside regular captain [[/fighter/shubman-gill/40795/:Shubman Gill]] and vice-captain [[/fighter/shreyas-iyer/40793/:Shreyas Iyer]]. Mitchell Santner's Black Caps, having closed out the T20I series with consecutive wins at Auckland and Hamilton, enter the 5-match ODI campaign reinforced by Tom Latham, [[/fighter/devon-conway/40387/:Devon Conway]], Will Young, and a returning [[/fighter/rachin-ravindra/40390/:Rachin Ravindra]]. With Eden Park's notoriously short straight boundaries primed for boundary clearing, this day-night series opener promises an explosive tactical battle. Catch every cover drive, swinging delivery, and live scorecard directly on [[/channel/willow-sports-live-cricket-tv/:Willow by Cricbuzz]] via TrillerTV. Tactical Context & Match Preview Heavyweight Returns & Eden Park Dimensions Eden Park's unique baseball-diamond ground configuration features short straight boundaries (approx. 55–65 meters), demanding defensive bowling adjustments from seamers and spinners alike. For India: Led by [[/fighter/shubman-gill/40795/:Shubman Gill]] with [[/fighter/shreyas-iyer/40793/:Shreyas Iyer]] as vice-captain, the batting lineup receives a massive injection of experience with [[/fighter/rohit-sharma/40787/:Rohit Sharma]] opening and [[/fighter/virat-kohli/40791/:Virat Kohli]] at number three. [[/fighter/kl-rahul-klr/40825/:KL Rahul]] takes up wicketkeeping and middle-overs anchoring duties, supported by all-rounders Nitish Kumar Reddy and Axar Patel. With the ball, Mohammed Siraj and [[/fighter/arshdeep-singh/40792/:Arshdeep Singh]] lead the pace department, with wrist-spinner [[/fighter/kuldeep-yadav/40355/:Kuldeep Yadav]] looking to exploit middle-overs flight and dip. Late addition Auqib Nabi provides additional seam cover. For New Zealand: Captain [[/fighter/mitchell-santner/40386/:Mitchell Santner]] leads a formidable home squad bolstered by the returns of wicketkeeper Tom Latham, [[/fighter/devon-conway/40387/:Devon Conway]], Will Young, and [[/fighter/rachin-ravindra/40390/:Rachin Ravindra]] (recovering from a shoulder issue). In-form batters Daryl Mitchell and [[/fighter/glenn-phillips/40388/:Glenn Phillips]] supply power through the middle order. The pace attack features strike weapons Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, and [[/fighter/jacob-duffy/40431/:Jacob Duffy]], who will seek early swing and steep bounce with the new Kookaburra ball. Squads & Probable Playing XIs New Zealand ODI Squad Full Squad (First Three ODIs): [[/fighter/mitchell-santner/40386/:Mitchell Santner]] (C), Tom Latham (wk), [[/fighter/devon-conway/40387/:Devon Conway]], Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, [[/fighter/glenn-phillips/40388/:Glenn Phillips]], Mark Chapman, [[/fighter/rachin-ravindra/40390/:Rachin Ravindra]], Michael Bracewell, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, [[/fighter/jacob-duffy/40431/:Jacob Duffy]], Blair Tickner, Nathan Smith Probable XI: [[/fighter/devon-conway/40387/:Devon Conway]], Will Young, [[/fighter/rachin-ravindra/40390/:Rachin Ravindra]], Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), [[/fighter/glenn-phillips/40388/:Glenn Phillips]], Michael Bracewell, [[/fighter/mitchell-santner/40386/:Mitchell Santner]] (C), Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy Tactical Focus: Aggressive new-ball swing from Matt Henry, middle-overs strike rotation via Latham and Mitchell, and utilizing Eden Park's boundaries to apply pressure on India's spin attack. India ODI Squad Full Squad (First Three ODIs): [[/fighter/shubman-gill/40795/:Shubman Gill]] (C), [[/fighter/shreyas-iyer/40793/:Shreyas Iyer]] (VC), [[/fighter/rohit-sharma/40787/:Rohit Sharma]], [[/fighter/virat-kohli/40791/:Virat Kohli]], [[/fighter/kl-rahul-klr/40825/:KL Rahul]] (wk), [[/fighter/ishan-kishan/40447/:Ishan Kishan]] (wk), [[/fighter/ruturaj-gaikwad/40823/:Ruturaj Gaikwad]], Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, [[/fighter/kuldeep-yadav/40355/:Kuldeep Yadav]], Mohammed Siraj, [[/fighter/arshdeep-singh/40792/:Arshdeep Singh]], Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj Probable XI: [[/fighter/rohit-sharma/40787/:Rohit Sharma]], [[/fighter/shubman-gill/40795/:Shubman Gill]] (C), [[/fighter/virat-kohli/40791/:Virat Kohli]], [[/fighter/shreyas-iyer/40793/:Shreyas Iyer]], [[/fighter/kl-rahul-klr/40825/:KL Rahul]] (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, [[/fighter/kuldeep-yadav/40355/:Kuldeep Yadav]], Mohammed Siraj, [[/fighter/arshdeep-singh/40792/:Arshdeep Singh]], Anshul Kamboj Tactical Focus: Fast powerplay start from [[/fighter/rohit-sharma/40787/:Rohit Sharma]], middle-overs anchoring by [[/fighter/virat-kohli/40791/:Virat Kohli]], and attacking wicket-taking spells with reverse swing and yorkers from Mohammed Siraj and [[/fighter/arshdeep-singh/40792/:Arshdeep Singh]]. Pitch & Playing Conditions Pitch Profile: Eden Park offers consistent pace and bounce, allowing batters to play through the line with confidence. With the straight boundaries relatively short, scores above 300 are common in 50-over matches. Fast bowlers who utilize change of pace and execute yorkers will find success during the death overs. Weather Forecast: Mild spring weather expected in Auckland with partly cloudy skies, afternoon highs of 19°C–21°C cooling to around 14°C under floodlights, with moderate westerly breezes and minimal threat of rain.