Gill needs one win in Hamilton, at a ground that has resisted India since 2009

India have not beaten New Zealand in a one-day international at Seddon Park since March 2009, and a third straight win in Hamilton on Tuesday would settle the series with two matches to spare

The third ODI of the five-match series starts at 3pm local time on Tuesday, 7.30am in India, with the tourists 2-0 up and the hosts needing a result to keep the series alive.

India won the opener in Auckland by five wickets and took the rain-shortened second match in Wellington by four runs on DLS, after New Zealand were bowled out for 134 and Gurnoor Brar returned a career-best four for 30.

Rain shaped both of those matches and is forecast again in Hamilton, which leaves Shubman Gill's side a narrow window to finish the job at a ground that has given India almost nothing.

A ground that has not yielded since 2009

India have played seven completed ODIs against New Zealand at Seddon Park and won one of them, an 84-run victory in March 2009 under MS Dhoni.

The six defeats include an eight-wicket loss in 2019 and a four-wicket loss in 2020, and a fixture at the ground in 2022 was abandoned without a result.

India's only other one-day win in Hamilton came against Ireland at the 2015 World Cup, leaving them three wins from 11 completed ODIs at the venue in all.

Two wins and a rain-hit lead

A win on Tuesday would put the series beyond New Zealand with the fourth and fifth matches, both at Bay Oval, still to be played on 13 and 15 November.

India have reason not to leave it to the back end of the tour. They led the preceding T20I series 3-0 and finished it 3-2.

A washout would hold the lead at 2-0 with two to play and keep New Zealand's route to a share of the series open.

One change at most in the attack

The selection question is whether Mohammed Siraj, who has not played either ODI, comes in for Arshdeep Singh, who took four wickets in Auckland and went wicketless in Wellington.

Ajay Jadeja has argued for the swap on workload grounds rather than form. "It's not because of performance, but to see how this attack functions without a left-arm seamer," he said.

He expects nothing else to move. "A right-hander would come in place of a left-hander. There is no chance of a change in batting," Jadeja said, adding that India would not bring in another spinner "because it is a small ground".

He also set a limit on what a 2-0 lead permits. "In the T20Is, after winning 3-0, you finished 3-2. So there won't be too many changes until it becomes 3-0," he said.

A top order that picks itself

Gill leads a batting order that has barely been tested in two shortened matches, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli above him in the order on their return to the one-day side.

"I think it's early because you didn't play them at the start. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Shubman Gill are the top order. How will you change them?" Jadeja said.

Shreyas Iyer has scored in both matches and is expected to stay at No. 4, with KL Rahul keeping wicket and Axar Patel and Naman Dhir following him.

New Zealand short of seamers

Blair Tickner is serving the ICC's mandatory seven-day concussion stand-down after being struck while batting in Wellington, and Kristian Clarke has joined the squad as bowling cover.

Matt Henry misses Hamilton while recovering from a collision in training and is expected back for the fourth ODI, and Lockie Ferguson is out with a low-grade right-calf tear picked up during the T20I series.

Mitchell Santner's side have been pegged back by the weather in both matches and have lost both, and must win in Hamilton to carry the series to Bay Oval alive.

Play begins at 3pm local time at Seddon Park, with India one win from the series and the forecast again the likeliest obstacle.