2nd ODI: Nitish comes in for India as NZ opt to bowl first; Lennox handed debut

RAJKOT: India have brought in seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy as New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl in the second ODI here at the Niranjan Shah Stadium on Wednesday.

India are leading the three-match series 1-0, after winning the series opener in Vadodara. Nitish slots into the playing eleven after off-spin bowling all-rounder Washington Sundar was ruled out of the series due to a left rib injury and will be assessed by the BCCI medical team.

“We would actually have preferred to bat first, based on the last few games here. Even yesterday there wasn’t much dew, and the players feel the surface tends to slow down as the innings goes on, so batting first looked the better option. Personally, I felt really good in the last game - the rhythm and fluency were there, and it’s always nice to contribute. Hopefully I can build on that and produce a big one today.