India Bowls First in 1st ODI vs NZ; Clarke Debuts, Pant Ruled Out

• India won the toss and opted to bowl first against New Zealand in the 1st ODI at Vadodara.
• Shubman Gill, captaining India, cited dew and the desire to try new combinations for the 2027 Cricket World Cup as reasons.
• New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell was also keen to bowl first but expressed satisfaction with batting first, highlighting their adaptation to Indian conditions.
• Kristian Clarke makes his international debut for New Zealand; Rishabh Pant is ruled out due to injury, with Dhruv Jurel named as his replacement.
• India's playing XI includes six bowling options, with three spinners and three fast bowlers, while Siraj makes a comeback.

Why It Matters: India bowls first in the 1st ODI against New Zealand, with a debut for Clarke and Pant ruled out due to injury.