India weigh Kuldeep Yadav's place in the attack for the Bay Oval decider

India must decide whether Kuldeep Yadav keeps his place for the series decider at Bay Oval after a return that cost 73 runs without a wicket

India lead the five-match one-day series 2-1 and need a win at Bay Oval on Sunday, or a washout, to take it. New Zealand have to win to finish level.

The question the tourists carry into it is who bowls the middle overs. Kuldeep Yadav played his first match of the tour on Friday and returned 0 for 73 from eight overs, an economy rate of 9.13.

New Zealand made 333 and bowled India out for 89 in 26.4 overs to win by 244 runs, and the selection that brought Kuldeep in is now the one under most scrutiny.

A first appearance in more than a month

Kuldeep came into the side for Anshul Kamboj and was preferred to Mohammed Siraj, India choosing a wrist-spinner as an attacking option through the middle overs after building the first three matches around seam.

He had not played a competitive match in more than a month. His previous outings were the three one-day internationals against West Indies at home in October.

Two overs shaped the spell

He was introduced in the 19th over and was hit for six by Will Young. Shreyas Iyer took him off after that single over because of a crosswind.

Kuldeep came back in the 26th, bowling from the Mount End with the breeze behind him. That over cost 19 runs, five of them extras from a no-ball, and left him at 0 for 39 after three overs.

He was tidier afterwards, bowling slower and giving the ball more air, but the figures were already set.

Gambhir rejects the game-time argument

Head coach Gautam Gambhir was asked whether the spinner had been short of cricket. "Look, game time will always be limited [as a spinner] when you travel overseas," he said. "But whatever opportunities you get, you try and make the most of it."

"It's not that he hasn't got enough game time," Gambhir said. "He played three ODIs against West Indies."

He defended the earlier selections as well. "When you are travelling a place like New Zealand, and when you know the dimensions and you know the conditions, sometimes you go with three seamers and you go with four seamers as well," he said, "and that is exactly what we did."

On the wider point he was firmer. "When you are playing international cricket, you should try and be in that rhythm most of the time," he said, adding that the same applied to batters and that "you can't keep thinking that he hasn't got enough opportunities".

A softer reading from the commentary box

Dinesh Karthik, speaking on Cricbuzz, was less severe. "I don't think he bowled very poorly," he said.

"In terms of run-up and release, I felt there was more he could have done," Karthik said, adding that "he probably needed a wicket very early in his spell to feel good about himself".

Ravi Shastri was sympathetic too, saying the pressure of sitting out for weeks and then being thrown back in had shown on the bowler.

The rest of the attack

Axar Patel took 2 for 39 from his ten overs, the one Indian bowler to contain New Zealand for any length of time.

Naman Dhir removed Young but conceded 29 runs in four overs. Siraj, left out on Friday, is available again if India want a fourth seamer back.

New Zealand, captained by Mitchell Santner, have a reshuffle of their own to manage, having released bowlers to the Test squad that assembles in Wellington next week.

The fifth one-day international starts at 3pm local time on Sunday at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, and India's team sheet is the first thing to watch.