IND vs NZ 2026: 'Rohit Sharma should score a century' - Former India opener wants star batter to finish ODI series on a high

Former India opener Aakash Chopra hopes to see Rohit Sharma score a century in the series decider against New Zealand at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore on Sunday, January 18. The former India captain got starts in the first two matches, but was dismissed for 26 and 24 in Vadodara and Rajkot, respectively.

Chopra noted that the conditions in Indore will be favourable for batters as the ground is on the smaller side and the pitch is generally flat. The cricketer-turned-expert wants a century from Rohit as India will not play ODI cricket in the next six months.

"They are going to Indore. The ground is small and the pitch is very flat there. All I want to say is that Rohit Sharma should score a century in this match because there is no ODI cricket for six months," Chopra stated in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel.

Chopra mentioned that both Rohit and Kohli will get busy in the coming months, playing for their respective franchises in the Indian Premier League. He wants to see both cricketers score big in the third ODI.

"He will now be seen only in the Mumbai Indians' blues and Virat Kohli will be seen in RCB's red, gold, and black. They will not be seen in Indian colors till July. So leave behind good memories. Whoever gets a start should play long," he observed.

I feel time is running out for Ravindra Jadeja: Chopra

Chopra reckons that Ravindra Jadeja is under a bit of pressure, as he hasn't performed well in ODI cricket in recent times. The former explained the importance of the third ODI to the star all-rounder.

"Keep KL Rahul at No. 5 only. Neither should you make too many changes in the team nor is there much scope. Play Nitish Kumar Reddy at No. 6. I feel time is running out for Ravindra Jadeja. So I would want him to score runs, bowl well, and take wickets," he said.

While Chopra feels that India's fast-bowling department has done reasonably well, he wants the spinners to show more creativity, especially when they are bowling against the in-form Daryl Mitchell.

"New Zealand are playing very well against spin. They played very well off the back foot and played very good sweeps. We are conceding that we don't have an answer for Daryl Mitchell. A little more creativity will be required in terms of the spin bowling. The fast bowling has been decent," Chopra observed.