Mount Maunganui (New Zealand), Jan 28 (IANS) New Zealand won the toss and opted to bat in the crucial third ODI against India at the Bay Oval here on Monday.

Already 2-0 up in the five-match ODI rubber, India made two forced changes by leaving out an injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni and the all-rounder Vijay Shankar. Dinesh Karthik and all-rounder Hardik Pandya were called in.

This is Pandya's first match after his ban was lifted by the Supreme Court-appointed Committee of Administrators for his alleged "sexist comments" on a TV show.

On the other hand, the hosts made a single change by including the left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner in place of Colin de Grandhomme.

India: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli(c), Ambati Rayudu, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik(w), Hardik Pandya, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham(w), Henry Nicholls, Mitchell Santner, Doug Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Trent Boult

--IANS tri/in