India Add Auqib Nabi for New Zealand ODIs as Jurel Hits 99

Prasidh Krishna is out of the five-match ODI series with a hamstring injury, so Auqib Nabi joins from the start. In Christchurch, Dhruv Jurel made an unbeaten 99 for India A while Yashasvi Jaiswal fell for another duck.

India have added fast bowler Auqib Nabi to their squad for the first three one-day internationals against New Zealand after Prasidh Krishna was ruled out of the full five-match series with a left hamstring injury. The Board of Control for Cricket in India confirmed the change on Saturday, October 31. Nabi, 29, was already named for the fourth and fifth ODIs. He will now be available from the start of the series, which opens at Eden Park in Auckland on November 4.

In Christchurch, captain Dhruv Jurel finished unbeaten on 99 as India A reached 291 for 7 on day one of the second unofficial Test against New Zealand A at Hagley Oval. Devdutt Padikkal made 80, but Yashasvi Jaiswal was out for a four-ball duck, his fourth duck in nine innings.

Nabi comes in from the start

The BCCI release was short and clear. The selection committee has added Nabi for the first three ODIs, and the right-arm pacer from Jammu and Kashmir will be part of the squad from the start of the series. Krishna was ruled out a day earlier. He was first picked for the opening three games subject to a fitness clearance, and the board said he needs more time to build up the workload needed for matches.

Krishna hurt his hamstring in the second ODI against the West Indies in Guwahati on September 30. That was the same match where Nabi made his India debut. Nabi went wicketless and conceded 84 runs that day, a hard first outing at this level. His form since then has pushed him back into the frame. He is in New Zealand with the India A red-ball squad and took six wickets in the first unofficial Test against New Zealand A, three in each innings.

Krishna is not being rushed back. He is expected to join India A for the third unofficial Test from November 7 if cleared, as match practice before the two-Test series starts on November 19. The ODI series runs from November 4 to November 15.

The pace group Nabi joins

Nabi joins Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar in the pace group. Nitish Kumar Reddy is available only for the opening game. Shubman Gill captains the side, with Shreyas Iyer as his deputy and Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and KL Rahul in the batting order.

For Nabi, the chance is simple to read. One cap, one rough debut, and now a full series to show he belongs. His six wickets in the first unofficial Test suggest he has settled into local conditions fast.

Jurel rescues India A after early trouble

India A needed rescuing more than once at Hagley Oval. New Zealand A captain Rhys Mariu won the toss and chose to bowl. Fraser Sheat struck in the first over, trapping Jaiswal leg before wicket for a duck. Sai Sudharsan and Padikkal rebuilt with a 91-run stand for the second wicket. Sudharsan made 41 from 63 balls before Jarrod McKay removed him.

Padikkal held the innings together, making 80 from 140 balls with 12 fours. When Sheat bowled him, the innings wobbled hard. Smaran Ravichandran fell for a golden duck, India A slipped to 137 for 5 and then 160 for 6, and Sheat finished with 4 for 50 from 19 overs.

Jurel changed the day. The captain came in under pressure and batted through to stumps, unbeaten on 99 with 11 fours and three sixes. He added 62 runs with Manav Suthar, who made 22, and then an unbroken 69-run stand with Akash Deep, who was 25 not out at the close. India A ended the day at 291 for 7 from 88 overs, a total that looked a long way off at 160 for 6. Jurel resumes on day two one run short of a hundred.

Jaiswal form is the one worry

Jaiswal's duck was his fourth scoreless innings in nine since the Sri Lanka tour in August. With the senior Test series starting on November 19, his low scores are now a real selection talking point. Padikkal, by contrast, keeps strengthening his case with runs in tough conditions.

Key numbers

India A closed day one on 291 for 7 from 88 overs. Jurel is 99 not out, Padikkal made 80 and Sudharsan 41. Sheat took 4 for 50 for New Zealand A. In the senior T20I series, India lead New Zealand 3 to 1. New Zealand won the fourth match by 87 runs at Eden Park on October 30, scoring 259 for 7 behind Glenn Phillips with 107 from 49 balls and Michael Bracewell with 65 from 25, then holding India to 172 for 9, with Jacob Duffy taking 4 for 23. The fifth and final T20I is on Sunday, November 1, at Seddon Park in Hamilton.

What happens next

The senior side finishes the T20I series in Hamilton on Sunday, then turns to the ODIs in Auckland on November 4, where Nabi is in line to feature early. In Christchurch, Jurel needs one run for his hundred on day two, and India A will want to push past 350.