CHENNAI: When India decided that their Test regulars would leave the ODI squad to prepare for the red-ball matches after the third 50-over contest, they would not have expected things to go the way it has so far. India, despite the 2-0 lead, have had all of 38.4 overs in the middle as a batting unit due to rain. And now, amidst the rain threat looming over the third match in Hamilton, things are not looking good.
Which is why, Shubman Gill and Co would be hoping that the weather stays clear and they get some time in the middle against New Zealand on Tuesday. In the first two matches, India batted second and some of them struggled to get going. Gill got off to a good start in the first match, but could not convert. In the second, he fell for a first ball duck.
Virat Kohli was at his imperious best in Auckland, however, he too, could not stay on in Wellington. Rohit Sharma, meanwhile, looked in good touch in the second match after an early dismissal in the first. Axar Patel could not make an impact so far too and KL Rahul, with limited opportunities, is yet to get out in the series.
However, Tuesday might be the last chance for the likes of Gill and Rahul to get some time in the middle before shifting their attention towards Test preparations. The other three among the top five will stay on with Shreyas Iyer leading the side, but it remains to be seen whether India would finally choose to bat first if they win the toss or go for the chase with forecast in mind.
In saying that, the team management does not seem to be worried too much about the conditions. In fact, batting coach Sitanshu Kotak felt the challenging conditions India have faced so far would be good preparation for the batters. "The wickets in both one-dayers had swing, and after 4-6 overs once the swing stopped there was seam movement. You could say there was a little bit of awkward bounce too. So in hindsight, it's a good thing because these exact same things can come up in a Test match, only the ball will be red," Kotak told reporters ahead of the third ODI.
"Yes, the intent and mindset in a one-dayer will be that of a one-dayer. But one thing is that regarding these guys' wickets — thicker grass, 12-14 mm grass, and the conditions — you can get an idea even in one-dayers. Though it might be greener in Test matches, the wicket isn't this green usually in one-dayers, but it's quite a good condition to play. It is challenging; a 140-run match is happening, so it's not like a 300-run match is happening. It's a good thing I think," he added.
Kotak also felt that the shadow tour of India A team — Rahul played a game before joining the ODI setup while Yashasvi Jaiswal and a few are still with the team — would prove to be an advantage. "Three India A matches are also being played by our red-ball players, so that is also a big advantage for batters, but at the same time for bowlers too, because they would also know where to bowl, what lengths, how much hitting or releasing gets what help. I think all in all the preparation has been very good, and on top of that, the Test players are going for a camp on November 11. We will get 5-6 sessions there as well. So fingers crossed, we should be ready for the Test series as well," he said.