NZ vs IND 1st ODI: India's strongest predicted bowling attack

Ahead of the opening ODI of the five-match series against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on November 4, India must construct a bowling unit without Jasprit Bumrah, who has been rested for the series. While the batting attack of the Men in Blue looks solid on paper with skipper Shubman Gill, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul at the core of the unit, it is their bowling which seems a bit weakened, especially with Bumrah, Prasidh Krishna and Ravindra Jadeja being unavailable.

Speaking of the conditions at the venue, the pitch is expected to be a hard and grassy surface, and short straight boundaries will demand a carefully balanced attack that combines seam movement early with controlled spin through the middle overs. With that said, it is going to be interesting to see what combination Gill decides on for the Wednesday encounter.

Here's India's strongest bowling combination for 1st ODI vs NZ:

New ball pair - Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh

The opening pair of Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh forms the frontline pace unit. Siraj emerges as the natural spearhead in Bumrah's absence, bringing proven wicket-taking ability through seam and swing. Arshdeep Singh, with 18 ODI appearances, pairs alongside him as the opening pace combination.

Arshdeep's left-arm angle provides a contrasting approach to Siraj's right-arm seam, while his death-bowling credentials strengthen India's options across all phases. However, with the conditions expected to help the seamers up front, both bowlers will be looking to get into the game with the new ball itself.