New Zealand tour of India

IND vs NZ, 3rd T20

Preview:

The third and final T20I match of the three-match T20I series between India and New Zealand (IND vs NZ) will take place on Wednesday (February 01) at 07:00 PM IST Live. The series decider match of the three-match T20 series between both sides will be played at Narendra Modi Stadium Ground, Motera, Ahmedabad. India defeated New Zealand in the second match to level the series 1-1.

NZ could manage only 99 runs on the board, and the Hosts also struggled in the run chase finishing the game with a ball to spare with the unbeaten knock of SKY. IND and NZ will go into the series decider, and both sides will have to produce their best show to win the game.  

Men in Blue have dominated the Black Cpas in this format of the game at home so far. India lost only twice against New Zealand in the last 10 games. Team India plays at home, and the side knows the conditions well. It will be interesting to see if the Black Caps can defeat the Indians in the latter's backyard and grab the series on Wednesday.

India's captain Hardik Pandya will feel relieved after his side managed to level the series in the last game. There was a lot of criticism of the Indian bowlers in the first game. Team India has gained momentum with the last win and will look to level the series 1-1. The all-rounder Pandya will look for a good show from his bowlers, as it has been one of the concerns for the side in the last two years in the shortest format of the game for the Hosts.  

Both the openers Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan can play natural games, and the Hosts will be looking for a good start in this game. The number T20I batter Suryakumar Yadav has been in exceptional form, and he will look to anchor the innings in the middle order with Rahul Tripathi and all-rounder Washington Sundar. Skipper Hardik Pandya is one of the best hitters down the order, and the side will like to see him add quick runs with all-rounders Deepak Hooda and Shivam Mavi.  

Team India's bowlers used the conditions well in the last game, and the side will expect a good show from Pandya and Washington Sundar with the new ball in the 3rd T20I as well. The spin mystery of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav bowled brilliantly in the last game, and they will need to repeat the magic. The left-arm fast gun bowler Arshdeep Singh, all-rounder Mavi, and Deepak Hooda complete a well-balanced attack for the team.

New Zealand's skipper Mitchell Santner would be upset with the performance of his batters in the last game. The Black Caps didn't adjust to the conditions and fell 20 runs short of what would have been a good score on Lucknow's pitch. Having allowed the Indians to level the series, the left-arm spinner Santner and his boys need to pull out a good show in this game and grab the series.   

The top-order batters for NZ, Finn Allen and Devon Conway have done well in the last 12 months, and the Kiwis will expect a strong show from them in this game. Glenn Phillips has to score quick runs in the middle order along with Mark Chapman and Daryl Mitchell. The all-rounders Michael Bracewell and Santner must do well down the order as the Indian bowling attack shall challenge them in this series decider match. 

The bowling attack is a bit weak for the Black Caps, and NZ will need tight spells with the new ball from Jacob Duffy and Michael Bracewell. The leader of the side Santner must lead from the front and bowl good spells along with the leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. They will also need tight bowling from Lockie Ferguson and Mark Chapman in this series decider.

Match Details

Match: IND vs NZ, 3rd T20, New Zealand tour of India, 2023

Date: Wednesday, February 01, 2023

Time: 07:00 PM (Feb 01)

Venue: Narendra Modi Stadium Ground, Motera, Ahmedabad

Pitch Report: 

This venue has a flat surface and a quick outfield. The batters who build their innings have been more successful here. Seamers bowlers rely on their variations to earn rewards on Narendra Modi Stadium Ground. It has been a happy hunting ground for the spinners as the ball can turn sharply and stop on the batters. The wicket here is a challenging one to bat first. Most sides have won games here, chasing the score as the flat surface allows big scores to be chased easily. The side winning the toss in this game would be happy to invite the opponent to bat first. 

It is going to be clear skies in Ahmedabad on February 01 for the match day between India and New Zealand in the series decider, and we expect to see a cool evening. The wicket is two-paced, and batters would have to be watchful. Spinners will enjoy the conditions in this game, as the dry surface would make the ball turn. The side batting first would need 180-190 runs or more on the board to feel safe on this track.

The maximum temperature will remain at 27°C, with a low of 13°C with 39% humidity, and a cool wind speed of 21 Km/hr for the third T20I on Wednesday between India and New Zealand. The weather in Ahmedabad during the match will be cool and pleasant for the match day. Both the day of the game and the days leading up to it have no possibility of rain. Therefore, the weather won’t interfere with the game.

IND vs NZ Squads:

IND: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan (wk), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, Prithvi Shaw, Mukesh Kumar

NZ: Mitchell Santner (C), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Dane Cleaver, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rippon, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner.

Probable Playing XI

IND: Hardik Pandya (c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh

NZ: Mitchell Santner (c), Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner

Match Prediction:

There have been 24 T20Is played between IND and NZ – 13 have been won by the Hosts, while 10 have been clinched by the NZ. One match ended in a tie. In the last 5 T20Is between these two sides, India has won 4, while one match was won by NZ. Men in Blue will start as favourites for this clash as they are the home side and are in some great limited-overs form right now for this final fixture of the series.

The Hosts had a poor tour and have won only once in the five games they have played. The inexperienced bowling attack shall face a tough challenge against the strong batting line-up that the Men in Blue have. The Hosts have hall feel confident as the conditions favour them, and the side has a strong batting line-up. We expect a close game, but we pick India to win this match and grab the series by 2-1.

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