India v New Zealand third ODI preview: India 2–0 up and can seal the series in Hamilton on 10 November

For New Zealand, the stakes are the reverse: a loss would hand India the series with two matches in hand, while a win would leave the home side one result from level. Neither side's table position is on the line, since this is a bilateral series, but the order of results decides who goes into the Test series with momentum.

How the first two matches went

India won the first ODI in Auckland on Wednesday 4 November by five wickets under the DLS method, and the second in Wellington on Saturday 7 November by four runs, also under DLS, after rain.

In Auckland, New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs, with Tim Seifert making 38 and Blair Tickner 34 from 23 balls. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70, Gurnoor Brar 3 for 44 and Anshul Kamboj 2 for 22 from 10 overs, which earned him the Player of the Match award. Rain cut India's chase to 143 from 32 overs, and they got there in 22.4 overs, with Virat Kohli making 74 from 51 balls and putting on 113 for the second wicket with Shubman Gill, who made 37.

In Wellington, rain interrupted the match, and New Zealand were bowled out for 134 in 41 overs. Gurnoor Brar took a career-best 4/30 from his 10 overs, and Daryl Mitchell's 55 from 104 balls was the top score. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took two wickets each, as did Axar Patel, and Arshdeep Singh conceded only 16 runs in seven overs.

India's chase of a revised 135 from 47 overs was uneasy. Jacob Duffy removed Shubman Gill for a duck and Virat Kohli for seven, and Rohit Sharma made 23 from 28 balls before Kyle Jamieson had him caught. Shreyas Iyer made 30 and KL Rahul finished on 26 not out. India were 113 for seven after 26 overs when rain returned, four runs ahead on the DLS par score.

India have used the same five bowlers in both matches: Arshdeep Singh, Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and Axar Patel. Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav, who are in the squad, have not played so far.

That scoreline tells India they have not yet had a comfortable day with the bat: a top order tested by seam bowling in both matches, and a lower middle order that has had to finish games.

Squad news on both sides

India's squad for the first three ODIs was named by the BCCI on 16 October, with Shubman Gill as captain and Shreyas Iyer as vice-captain. It includes Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul and Ishan Kishan as wicketkeeper options, Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav. Prasidh Krishna, who was subject to fitness clearance, could not get it and is out of the series with a hamstring injury, and Auqib Nabi was added. For the last two ODIs, Iyer takes over as captain, with Ishan Kishan as vice-captain, and Tilak Varma, Kumar Kushagra and Yash Thakur come into the squad.

New Zealand have lost Devon Conway for the rest of the series. New Zealand Cricket said on 6 November that he suffered a concussion while fielding in training earlier in the week. Left-handed batter Nick Kelly, who had been picked for the fourth and fifth ODIs, joined the squad in Wellington as cover, and Matt Henry, who was involved in the fielding mishap, was cleared of concussion. Earlier, New Zealand Cricket had already ruled out Chapman and Ravindra and called in Nicholls, Fisher, Foxcroft and Seifert, and Nicholls, Fisher and Seifert all played in Wellington.

The third ODI starts at 7.30 am IST on Tuesday 10 November.