SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi is facing uncertainty over his place in India’s playing XI for the second One-Day International against New Zealand, with experienced fast bowler Mohammed Siraj back in contention following his return to the squad.
India are expected to retain most of the winning combination from the rain-affected opening ODI in Auckland, but Siraj’s availability could prompt a change in the pace attack, potentially leaving Nabi out of the playing XI.
Nabi has gone wicketless in his first two ODIs for India. On his international debut against the West Indies, he conceded 84 runs in 10 overs in a high-scoring contest in which 811 runs were scored across 93.3 overs.
His second outing, against New Zealand in Auckland earlier this week, was comparatively economical. The right-arm pacer conceded 33 runs in six overs but failed to take a wicket, while India’s other seamers made significant contributions.
Siraj has rejoined the squad after completing his red-ball commitments with India A, strengthening India’s options ahead of the second match.
However, India’s fielding coach Shubhadeep Ghosh did not confirm whether Siraj would feature in the playing XI.
“I don’t know, the team management will decide that,” Ghosh told reporters when asked about Siraj’s inclusion.
The second ODI is scheduled to be played at Wellington Regional Stadium, where conditions are expected to offer bounce and carry, making the pace attack an important factor.
India will also be hoping for a better batting performance from the rest of the line-up after Virat Kohli’s half-century stood out in the series opener. Kohli negotiated the difficult conditions effectively, while several other batters struggled against the short-pitched deliveries.
Rain could again influence the contest, with showers forecast in Wellington. India’s training session was cancelled on Friday because of inclement weather.
The opening ODI in Auckland was also disrupted by rain, forcing multiple revisions to India’s target. The chase was initially set at 186 in 50 overs before being revised to 167 in 40 overs and subsequently to 143 in 32 overs.
India’s probable playing XI: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Mohammed Siraj:Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh.
