Auckland, Nov. 4 -- Indian skipper Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to chase against New Zealand in the first of the five ODIs in Auckland on Wednesday.

With the spotlight firmly on the road to the 2027 ODI World Cup, India begin their five-match series against New Zealand at Eden Park on Wednesday, with the return of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to the 50-over format.

India will also be looking to turn around their modest ODI record in New Zealand, where their last victory came in February 2019. Since then, they have featured in two ODI series in the country, suffering 3-0 and 1-0 defeats, with two matches washed out during the latter tour.

India have struggled for consistency in the 50-over format since winning the Champions Troph...