Kohli vs Duffy in Focus as India and New Zealand Open ODI Series
The five-match ODI leg begins at Eden Park, with several individual matchups shaping the opener.
India and New Zealand get their five-match ODI series underway on November 4, with Eden Park in Auckland hosting the first game from 7:30 AM IST. The tourists arrive with momentum after taking the T20I leg 3-2, but both squads now start from scratch in the 50-over format.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli headline the Indian line-up, and the series offers plenty of absorbing one-on-one contests across the five games. Among the most closely watched is Kohli's tussle with New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy.
The two have crossed paths only rarely in ODIs, which makes the matchup intriguing. In their limited head-to-head record, Kohli has managed six runs from five balls against Duffy while being dismissed once, a strike rate of 120.
That small sample keeps the contest open, and the first ODI at Eden Park will give both men an early chance to tilt the rivalry their way. With a long series ahead, the opening exchanges could set the tone for the battles to come over the coming weeks.