India faced New Zealand in the fourth ODI at Mount Maunganui on Friday with a commanding 2-0 series lead already in hand. The third match in Hamilton had been washed out without a ball bowled, leaving two contests remaining in the five-match series. Shreyas Iyer won the toss and elected to bowl first, naming an XI that featured Ruturaj Gaikwad opening the innings alongside Rohit Sharma, Ishan Kishan in the middle order, and Kuldeep Yadav in the bowling attack.

The decision to deploy Gaikwad as opener has sparked debate among former cricketers. Murali Kartik expressed concerns about the batting arrangement, questioning whether Kishan might be better utilised higher up the order rather than at number five.

Kartik believes Ishan Kishan's recent form suggests he should bat higher in the order, though he acknowledges the constraint that Virat Kohli occupies the number three position. The former cricketer has questioned whether the current arrangement represents the best use of Kishan's abilities.

"I don't know, to be honest, because I personally feel that the way Ishan has gone of late, the best place for him is up top. You obviously can't come in at No.3 because Virat is out there.... So, I think, for me, cricket sense says that keep Ishan where he should be and keep Ruturaj where you are asking him to be, rather than swapping it again and muddling the pond again. I just hope better sense prevails," Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

Why does Murali Kartik question the batting order?

Gaikwad last opened an ODI during India's South Africa tour in 2023. His return to the opening position represents a significant opportunity to establish himself at the top of the order after an extended absence from that role. Ishan Kishan will keep wicket in place of KL Rahul, who has joined India's Test squad ahead of the first Test against New Zealand starting the following week.

Dinesh Karthik offered a contrasting view, backing the team's approach of giving Gaikwad an extended opportunity at the top of the order. Karthik emphasised that Gaikwad is a natural opener and merits the chance to prove himself in that position, while also recognising Kishan's value batting lower down.

"I personally feel that they are trying to give Ruturaj the best chance possible, the best opportunity possible, because he is a bona fide opener.... Who will you get more out of, Rutu or Ishan batting at No.5? I believe that the way Ishan is batting, he will definitely give a lot more batting at No.5. I am not too fussed about it personally; I quite understand where they are coming from," Karthik said.

The second ODI at Hamilton illustrated the challenging conditions batsmen faced throughout the series. New Zealand was bowled out for 134, with Gurnoor Brar claiming four wickets for 30 runs. India reached 113 for seven in the 26th over, sitting four runs ahead of the DLS par when rain returned and ended the match, securing victory for India.

How tight has the series been so far?

Karthik also cautioned against overinterpreting India's series advantage, noting that the contests had been tightly fought and New Zealand came close to pulling off a victory in the second ODI.

"It is misleading. New Zealand could have easily pulled off a heist in one of those games, especially the second. In the second one, all it felt like was that they needed only one wicket," Karthik said.

"In all fairness to both teams, I think it has been real hard work batting. There have been some small cameos that have been played, and we should respect that. Sometimes it is not about the tall scores; it is about what you can bring in smaller quantities," he added.

Shreyas Iyer assumed the captaincy for the remaining ODIs, taking over from Shubman Gill who joined India's Test squad. Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion strengthened India's bowling options, while Mohammed Siraj remained on the bench. The fourth ODI was unlikely to be interrupted by rain, offering both teams the opportunity to play a full match.