India captain Shubman Gill left nothing to chance amid a health scare in Indore, the city set to host the third and final ODI of the ongoing home series against New Zealand. The city has been grappling with a water contamination crisis, with at least 15 people losing their lives in a diarrhoea outbreak.
According to a report in Dainik Bhaskar, Gill arranged a high-end water purifier worth around INR 3 lakh for the team to ensure safe drinking water during their stay. However, hotel staff reportedly have limited information about the machine’s usage and technology.
The report further stated that India are paying close attention to the players’ diet, with the BCCI arranging a special chef for the squad. Virat Kohli’s diet includes grilled green vegetables, South Indian food and soup, while Gill prefers boiled eggs, green vegetables, lentils, raita and soup. Rohit Sharma’s meals consist of lentils, rice, salad, soup, cheese, vegetables, yoghurt and fruit.
India’s bowling combination will be under scrutiny when they face New Zealand in the series decider in Indore on Sunday, especially after the spinners were outplayed in the first two matches. Chief among the concerns was Kuldeep Yadav, whose deliveries lacked penetration as New Zealand’s batters, led by Daryl Mitchell, handled him with confidence. The Indian spinners’ struggles stood in stark contrast to their New Zealand counterparts, who strangled the scoring rate and forced errors.
With Indore offering shorter boundaries and a batting-friendly surface, discipline is likely to matter more than variation for India’s bowlers.
India boast an imposing record at the Holkar Stadium, having won all five of their previous matches at the venue, against England (2006, 2008), West Indies (2011), South Africa (2015) and Australia (2017).
While the Indian team skipped practice on Friday, the Kiwis trained despite it being an optional session.
