Daijiworld Media Network - Wellington

Wellington, Nov 7: India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to bowl first against New Zealand in the rain-affected second ODI at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. Persistent rain delayed the start of the match, forcing officials to inspect the ground before play could begin. The contest has been reduced to 47 overs per side.

India have retained the same playing XI that secured a five-wicket victory in the opening ODI in Auckland, despite the return of pacer Mohammed Siraj to the squad. Siraj does not feature in the final XI, with Auqib Nabi retaining his place in the bowling attack.

India's playing XI comprises Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (captain), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Axar Patel, Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar and Arshdeep Singh.

New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, will be keen to bounce back after their defeat in the series opener. Their playing XI includes Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy and Blair Tickner.

India made a winning start to the five-match ODI series in Auckland, defeating the hosts by five wickets in a rain-affected encounter. New Zealand were restricted to 185, with India's pace attack making a significant impact. Arshdeep Singh and Anshul Kamboj were among the standout performers with the ball, while Virat Kohli led the run chase with an impressive 74 off 51 deliveries. Gill also contributed with 37 runs.

The Indian team will now aim to extend its lead to 2-0, while New Zealand need a victory to level the series and regain momentum. Rain and overcast conditions have once again become major factors, with both teams having to contend with weather interruptions during the opening match as well.