India vs New Zealand ODIs - Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja Absence Has Hurt: Gavaskar

New Zealand are in the cusp of securing their first bilateral series win in India as the Black Caps go head on with India in the fifth and final ODI in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.

Former Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar feels team selection and strategy for the series have been quite awry. New Zealand have twice come back from the dead to level the series 2-2 and more importantly, exposed the shortcomings in India's game plan.

Speaking to NDTV, Gavaskar too feels India's planning for the series has not been spot on and resting key men against a team that plays limited overs cricket with great aplomb was suicidal.

Lack of good starts, a wobbly middle order and an average bowling attack have plotted to push India to a position where they could hand New Zealand their first series win in any format on Indian soil.

Gavaskar feels Murali Vijay should have been included as an opening option and Ajinkya Rahane bat at No. 4 to add solidity to the middle order. Skipper MS Dhoni batting at No. 4 hasn't quite helped while chasing, feels the former Test opener.

New Zealand have reached this point twice previously in India, before losing the fifth and deciding game of series in 1995 and 1999. In 2010, the Kiwis lost 5-0 on India, making it 10 winless ODI series on Indian soil.

That could change if India doesn't get their gameplan right and Virat Kohli fails to fire, feels Gavaskar.

"You can't depend on Virat Kohli bailing you out every time. It looks like if Virat fails the others are not being able to handle the pressure," Gavaskar told NDTV after India's 19-run defeat in Ranchi on Wednesday.

What does India need to do better in Visakhapatnam on Saturday? Gavaskar has some suggestions.

First up, bowl better at the top of the innings and check the runs, he says.

"When one of your top bowlers like Hardik Pandya is bowling just five overs and a non-regular bowler like Kedar Jadhav has to bowl eight overs, then you are in trouble. India can't afford to leak runs at the top of the attack," said Gavaskar

"When two of your specialist bowlers do not bowl their full quota of overs, then that is a worrying sign. Not having Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja have weakened the bowling attack considerably. On Indian pitches, they were very lethal," said Gavaskar.

Picking the right combination will be key to success in a big match, said Gavaskar. Dhoni's idea to 'experiment' with the batting order has certainly not amused Gavaskar.

Suddenly, the odds seem stacked against the Indians. If the Kiwis, who were blanked in the Test series 3-0, can win in Visakhapatnam, they would finish a four-month journey on the road with a huge smile.