The Namibia match could be a God-sent opportunity for an out-of-form Sanju Samson to get into run-scoring mode after a string of failures that saw him lose his place to Ishan Kishan, who is going through a purple patch.
Dhruv Jurel on Sunday replaced an injured Rishabh Pant in India's ODI squad for the three-match series against New Zealand in Vadodara.
'The game a couple of days ago was very, very close. So it was good to get here today. And, you know, beautiful practice wicket. So hopefully another cracking game tomorrow.'
Ten Doeschate admitted that, in hindsight, India would have preferred playing a third spinner instead of Reddy, given how effectively New Zealand's spinners exploited the conditions.
'I mean, KL Rahul is certainly good enough to be a number five.'
All-rounder Axar Patel was named vice-captain of the squad, which also saw the return of in-form Ishan Kishan, who pipped Jitesh Sharma as the second wicketkeeper behind Sanju Samson.
'The atmosphere he has created in the team -- he has tried to infuse a culture of playing for the team and not focusing on personal milestones.'
India begins their T20 World Cup campaign against the USA, aiming to leverage their strong team composition and recent form to secure a victory.
Ravichandran Ashwin stressed that Washington Sundar must be treated as a frontline bowling all-rounder and given a full quota of overs to build confidence with the bat as well.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title. The 10th edition of the 20-overs global showpiece event will run from February 7 to March 8.
Even as the focus remains on the T20 World Cup which is less than a month away, Kohli and Rohit will hog the limelight in the three ODIs over the next seven days.
Washington Sundar was recognised for his exceptional fielding performance during India's recent T20I series sweep against Bangladesh.
Rohit Sharma offered a hilarious piece of advice to spinner Kuldeep Yadav ahead of the T20 World Cup this year from February 7.
This is the most open T20 World Cup in history. The traditional powers are compromised. The new powers have gained strength, observes Faisal Shariff.
Spin great Harbhajan Singh said India don't have a specialist off-spinner for Test cricket.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI for the opening match against USA?
Pathan also lauded young Harshit Rana's all-round contribution, insisting the pacer is earning his place purely on merit.
Tournament co-hosts India will be out to defend their Twenty20 World Cup title in familiar home conditions next month.
KL Rahul opened up about his on-field role in mentoring Harshit Rana during the tense chase against New Zealand in the first ODI in Vadodara, describing the experience as enjoyable.
India has a strong spin attack, my favourite team in T20 WC: Ganguly
Kuldeep, spin strategy in focus as India prepare for Indore decider
Defending champions India have unveiled a well-rounded 15-member squad for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill's indifferent form is a massive concern but the national selection committee is unlikely to make any shocking changes when it picks the 15-member squad for next year's T20 World Cup in Mumbai on Saturday.
Washington is learning about batting: Doeschate, as all-rounder focusses on big-hitting at nets
These comments come after India recently announced their squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2026. Suryakumar Yadav is set to lead India in his first-ever ICC tournament as captain, with Axar Patel named as his deputy.
While the first India vs New Zealand ODI will be played at Vadodara, the second match will get underway at Rajkot. The teams will face off for the final ODI of the series at Indore.
Later, priests honoured the visitors with the temple's Shesha Vasthram (sacred cloth) and presented them with the deity's portrait and prasadam on behalf of the Devasthanam.
The former South African batter pointed out that Rana does not have a lot of international experience with the new ball, but is well supported in the pace department.
'They discuss with Gautam the ODI format, the matches that we have and our plans for South Africa.'
Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav acknowledged his recent lean patch and expressed confidence in returning to form ahead of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup.
India pacer Harshit Rana has revealed that the Indian management is aiming to groom him as an all-rounder.
Virat Kohli's stroke-filled 91-ball 93 set up India's win in the series opener against New Zealand.
In India's first innings, only Yashasvi Jaiswal (58 off 97 balls) and Washington Sundar (48 off 92 balls) could contribute substantially as the home team suffered a batting collapse after starting the day at 9 for no loss.
India all-rounder Axar Patel was on Monday ruled out of the remaining two T20 Internationals against South Africa due to illness with the BCCI's selection committee naming Shahbaz Ahmed as his replacement.
'One who was aggressive in the Powerplay, and the other after the Powerplay when wickets were falling he turned into an adamant batter, who batted sensibly and was not ready to give away his wicket.'
Gautam Gambhir's penchant for shuffling cricketers has often come under sharp scrutiny, but the head coach insisted that "batting order is overrated" in white ball cricket, strongly hinting of him sticking to his trusted ways.
Images from Day 5 of the second and final Test between India and South Africa, at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, on Wednesday.
Captain K L Rahul broke India's infamous toss jinx on Saturday as the hosts won the coin flip for the first time in 21 ODIs.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir mounted a strong defence of the tough Eden Gardens pitch despite losing to South Africa in the first Test.
IMAGES from the first ODI played between India and New Zealand in Vadodara on Sunday
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