India will complete their limited-overs tour of New Zealand with the fifth in Queenstown. Having lost the T20I and all four ODIs, India will want to end the tour with a win. New Zealand, on the other hand, will eye a clean sweep to bolster their confidence before the upcoming World Cup at home.
Rain reduced the fourth ODI to 20 overs a side, and New Zealand's 191 proved to be too much for the Indians. Richa Ghosh's 29-ball 52, the fastest ODI fifty by an Indian woman, was the sole highlight for India. For New Zealand, Amelia Kerr continued to impress. She followed her 33-ball 68 with three wickets in 3.5 overs.
New Zealand will look to continue with the momentum for the final match. While sticking to Sophie Devine, Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr and Amy Satterthwaite in the top four, they may continue to experiment by bringing in the likes of Maddy Green. Expect Lea Tahuhu and Jess Kerr to lead the bowling attack, supported by Hayley Jansen and Hannah Rowe.
For India, Smriti Mandhana failed to impress in her first match of the tour, and will want to have a good hit in the middle in India’s last match ahead of the World Cup. India had rested Harmanpreet Kaur in their last match. It will be interesting to see if she makes a return in the final ODI, along with Jhulan Goswami.
However, they will be happy with Ghosh's return. She is expected to play a key role in the World Cup, along with Deepti Sharma and Sneh Rana. Meghna Singh conceded 45 runs in four overs on her return from quarantine, and will expect to have a much better outing in the last ODI.
Likely XIs
New Zealand: Sophie Devine (c), Suzie Bates, Amelia Kerr, Amy Satterthwaite, Maddy Green, Lauren Down, Katey Martin (wk), Lea Tahuhu, Jess Kerr, Hayley Jansen, Hannah Rowe.
India: Smriti Mandhana, Shafali Verma, Yastika Bhatia, Mithali Raj (c), Harmanpreet Kaur, Richa Ghosh (wk), Deepti Sharma, Sneh Rana, Jhulan Goswami, Meghna Singh, Rajeshwari Gayakwad.
Fantasy Tips
- With 287 runs and 6 wickets from four matches, Amelia Kerr is in great form. Along with Satterthwaite, Devine, and Bates, she will be a popular choice for fantasy.
- Jess Kerr is leading the wickets tally with seven wickets, and should be the top pick as bowler.
- Among Indians, back Mandhana, Verma, Bhatia, Ghosh, and if she plays, Goswami.
Fantasy XI
Richa Ghosh; Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite, Smriti Mandhana; Amelia Kerr (c), Deepti Sharma (vc); Jess Kerr, Jhulan Goswami, Hayley Jansen, Meghna Singh.