NZ vs IND: 3rd T20I Preview – Desperate hosts seek turnaround to stay alive

With a convincing 7-wicket win in the 2nd T20I at Eden Park, the Men in Blue have comfortably taken a 2-0 lead in the 5-match T20I series against New Zealand. After having chased down a mammoth 204 in the first game, 133 seemed like a walk in the park for a dominant Team India.

Now, with their backs against the wall, the Kiwis face a do-or-die situation heading into the third T20I at Hamilton. Locking horns against a fired-up Indian unit, they will need a miraculous comeback to keep the series alive.

Match info

NZ vs IND: 3rd T20I – 29th January (Wednesday)

Seddon Park, Hamilton (12:30 PM)

Scattered showers are likely to grace this part of the Kiwi land but a full game could well be on the cards.

NZ vs IND: The catch-up game

Team News

New Zealand: The hosts are currently being outplayed by their counterparts in every department despite playing a full-strength squad. Their openers, Colin Munro and Martin Guptill have gotten flying starts but captain Kane Williamson will expect more from the senior duo. Colin de Grandhomme’s repeated failures with the bat could prompt a forced change, with all-rounder Daryll Mitchell waiting in the wings. New Zealand also need to step up on the bowling front. They seem to make early inroads in the Indian batting line-up but often lose their way after that. Tim Southee, their seniormost bowler showed glimpses of his true self in the last match but he’ll need to be consistent and lead from the front.

India: There’s no legit reason for Team India to make any changes to their winning combination. KL Rahul’s fine form with the bat and the gloves is enough to keep Rishabh Pant and Sanju Samson out of the playing eleven. Ravindra Jadeja has made himself undroppable thanks to his ability to get regular breakthroughs. Shreyas Iyer is now coming into his own, having scripted two beautiful chasing knocks. There could be a temptation to play Navdeep Saini in place of Shardul Thakur, given how expensive Thakur has been for his two wickets across both games.

Probable XI