WELLINGTON: New Zealand have assembled their strongest possible line up for the ODI series against India starting next week in what will be their toughest workout ahead of the World Cup.

Tom Latham and Colin de Grandhomme, who were rested during the 3-0 sweep against Sri Lanka, were named on Thursday in a 14-man squad for the first three games of the five-match series which starts from Wednesday.

Captain Kane Williamson and bowling spearhead Trent Boult, who sat out the T20I against Sri Lanka last Friday, are back in the squad as is Mitchell Santner who made the Twenty20 team after being sidelined by injury for 10 months.

India and New Zealand are ranked second and third in the world, and coach Gary Stead said the composition of the squad reflected World Cup planning while also giving themselves the best possible chance of winning the series against Virat Kohli’s tourists.

Squad: Kane Williamson (captain), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Lockie Ferguson, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Colin Munro, Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.

Published in Dawn, January 18th, 2019