India captain Shubman Gill expressed that scheduling the T20I matches between the ODIs and the Test series created a tight turnaround, forcing him and other Test specialists to skip the final two ODIs of the five-match series in New Zealand.
Gill noted that playing the ODIs first, followed by T20Is and then Tests, would have allowed India to field a full-strength squad for all five ODIs.
Considering the short turnaround, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah has been rested for the entire ODI series. Gill will lead India for the first three ODIs before stepping away to prepare for the two-Test series, starting November 19 in Wellington.
Vice-captain Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy for the last two ODIs in Mount Maunganu on November 13 and November 15.
"Both [the ODI and Test series] are very important," Gill told reporters on the eve of the first ODI in Auckland. "If it was in my hands and all the players were fit, I would have liked to have all the players who we are looking at playing during the World Cup [for the full ODI series], but the two Test matches are also very important.
"If it had been one-day first, then T20, and then Test, we could have played all five [ODI] matches [with our strongest squad], but [we couldn't do this] because the gap between the one-day [series] and Test matches was very small," he added.
South Africa's recent 2-1 Test series victory over Australia in Cape Town significantly altered the World Test Championship (WTC) standings. The result propelled New Zealand to the top spot (72.22% PCT) and lifted South Africa to second place (71.43% PCT), pushing Australia (69.23% PCT) down to third.
India sit in fourth place with 51.52% PCT. To secure a spot in the June 2027 final, Gill emphasized the absolute necessity of performing well against New Zealand followed by their five-Test home series against Australia in early 2027.
"The WTC scenario has become very interesting," Gill stated. "The series that happened between Australia and South Africa was really interesting, and has balanced the table very nicely. Hopefully if we play well in the Test series here, and then we play Australia at home, so that gives us a chance of playing in the final.
"Both [the ODI and Test series] are very important, but unfortunately, because we are playing the one-dayers in between [the T20Is and Tests], the players in the Test team are having to miss the last two one-dayers," he further remarked.
