New Delhi: Having powered their batting to victory in the first two matches, India will look to continue their winning streak and gain an unassailable lead when they take on New Zealand in the third T20 International in Wellington on Tuesday. The focus will be on the performances of fast bowlers Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Arshdeep Singh. India will be aiming to win the series.
India has been unbeaten in New Zealand since 2020. Under Virat Kohli ‘s leadership, they defeated New Zealand 5-0. On their next tour in 2022-23, India won the only match not affected by bad weather, while the series decider was tied. Now, the Shreyas Iyer- led team will want to ensure their unbeaten record remains intact despite the absence of Jasprit Bumrah (who has been rested) and Hardik Pandya (who has been out for a long time due to injury).
New Zealand determined to make a comeback
After achieving big targets in the first two matches played in Christchurch, the team certainly seems on the right track. However, the challenge for India will not be easy as the New Zealand team will be determined to make a comeback, and adjusting to the conditions will also be difficult. The Indian team will have to deal with the frequent strong winds at the Basin Reserve ground, which is open on three sides. India’s bowling coach Morne Morkel did not reveal whether any strategic changes will be made to the playing eleven given such conditions, but he made it clear that Bhuvneshwar, who is returning after four years, needs to regain his international rhythm without being pressured. He conceded 49 and 50 runs in the first two matches.
Eyes on Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Bhuvneshwar, however, may find the conditions at Basin Reserve appealing. He will have a reliable partner in Arshdeep, who, with his ability to swing the ball both ways, can trouble New Zealand’s top-order batsmen: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert, and Daryl Mitchell. These three batsmen have not performed as expected so far, and the pressure on them is increasing as the series progresses. Glenn Phillips has played a significant role in New Zealand’s middle order, scoring half-centuries in both matches.
Bevan Jacobs also batted well in the last match. India used 13 players in the first two matches. Vaibhav Suryavanshi replaced the injured Ishan Kishan , and death-overs specialist Prince Yadav replaced Mayank Yadav in the second match. It is just the beginning of summer in New Zealand, and the cool and windy conditions of the evening match could also test the Indian batsmen, who prefer to hit straight shots.
The absence of Lockie Ferguson and Matt Henry, as part of New Zealand’s workload management plan for their fast bowlers, could prove beneficial for India. New Zealand has included Matt Fisher and Blair Tickner in their squad in their place. It will be interesting to see how Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, and Sanju Samson cope with the fluctuating wind and cold. For the 15-year-old Suryavanshi, such conditions will undoubtedly help him become a better player. Head coach Gautam Gambhir ‘s strategy of using Tilak Varma, Naman Dheer, and Nitish Kumar Reddy in the middle order has proven effective in the first two matches. However, India has yet to address its shortcomings in the bowling department.
Teams of India and New Zealand:
India: Shreyas Iyer (captain), Sanju Samson (wicketkeeper), Abhishek Sharma, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, Naman Dheer, Tilak Verma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mayank Yadav, Kumar Kushagra, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
New Zealand: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Bevan Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Matt Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Josh Clarkson.
Match start time: 12:30 PM IST.
