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At Eden Park in Auckland on November 4, 2026, Arshdeep Singh delivered one of the most compelling white-ball bowling spells seen from an Indian pacer in New
Zealand. Bowling ten overs, he returned figures of 4/70 as India dismissed the hosts for 185 in 40.2 overs in the first ODI of the series.
Arshdeep removed Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Kyle Jamieson and Glenn Phillips to complete his four-wicket haul. Rain intervened during India's chase, and the match was settled via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. India reached a revised target of 143 off 32 overs with five wickets in hand and 56 balls to spare, sealing a comfortable victory.
The performance placed Arshdeep alongside Mohammed Shami and Javagal Srinath as only the third Indian pace bowler to claim a four-wicket haul in an ODI against New Zealand. His 4/70 also stands as the fourth-best bowling return by an Indian pace bowler in ODIs on New Zealand soil. Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar lauded the left-armer for his accuracy and skill with the ball.
"He can swing the ball both ways, inswing and outswing. That creates doubt for the batters as to which ball is coming. His length today was excellent. The line was good in any case. He was making the right-handed batters play across the line from middle and off-stump," Gavaskar said on Soy Sports Network.
What did Sunil Gavaskar say about Arshdeep's Test prospects?
Arshdeep's ability to move the ball in both directions throughout his spell drew immediate attention from Gavaskar, who noted that Arshdeep had been consistently impressive over two to three years and argued that his white-ball mastery raised a compelling question about his red-ball potential.
"An odd ball was coming in as well. He bowled extremely well, and I have always said, I have been seeing him for two or three years, that he should be looked at even for Test cricket. If he swings the white ball so much, how much will he swing the red ball," Gavaskar opined.
What has Ajinkya Rahane said about Arshdeep's red-ball credentials?
Gavaskar was not alone in making the case for Arshdeep in the longest format. Former India batter and Kolkata Knight Riders captain Ajinkya Rahane also weighed in, pointing to the tactical value a left-arm seamer brings in Test cricket, including the different angle of attack and the rough a left-armer creates for an off-spinner bowling into the footmarks.
"He should definitely get a chance. The way he moves the white ball, inswing and outswing, the skill and wicket-taking ability he has, he has that with the red ball as well. A left-arm seamer also creates a different angle. If you have a spinner, a different footmark gets created. So, Arshdeep has that skill to bowl with the red ball," Rahane said, via the aforementioned source.
The calls for a Test debut carry added weight when set against Arshdeep's broader record. He has represented India in 104 T20Is and 19 ODIs but has never been capped at Test level. In 24 first-class matches, he has taken 73 wickets at an average of 30.71, a record that will likely form part of any selection discussion that follows this Auckland performance.
