India will lock horns with New Zealand in the third and final T20I of the series on Wednesday at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad. Currently, the three-match series is tied at 1-1 after the hosts’ victory over the Black Caps in a nail-biting match on Sunday, hence both teams will be eager to go all out in order to clinch the series.
Also, a win in Ahmedabad will help Hardik Pandya-led side maintain the number-one ranking in T20Is, while for New Zealand, the victory will be a morale booster after they got thrashed 3-0 in the ODI series.
Hardik Pandya aims to keep his perfect record intact
Interestingly, Hardik Pandya is yet to lose a series as Team India captain in the T20 format. The 29-year-old all-rounder has so far won three T20 series and is eyeing a fourth victory against New Zealand. Hence, he will aim to keep his perfect record intact with the win in the 3rd T20I.
India’s top order in focus
Top order batters Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan, and Rahul Tripathi have failed to make their opportunities count in the absence of senior players Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and KL Rahul, and now the trio will be under pressure to deliver in the third T20I.
Gill hasn’t been able to replicate his ODI form in the T20I series having scored 7 and 11 in the first two games. Kishan, on the other hand, has failed to live up to the standard which he set for himself by scoring a double-century in Bangladesh.
Kishan was cleaned up by New Zealand’s Michael Bracewell for a forgetful score of 4 off 5 balls in the 1st T20I at Ranchi, while in the second T20I, the Indian opener was involved in a run-out and walked back to pavilions after scoring 19 runs.
Meanwhile, Tripathi, who found a place in the playing XI in the absence of regular number three Kohli, has also been far from impressive.
Given that it’s the World Cup year, the three young batters will be keen to serve another timely reminder to the national selectors and for that, they need to fire on all cylinders, especially in the series decider.
Will Prithvi Shaw get a chance?
With Gill and Kishan misfiring at the top, it would be interesting to see if head coach Rahul Dravid and captain Hardik Pandya pick Prithvi Shaw in the playing XI. Notably, Shaw, who has played only one T20I till now, returned to the national setup after a long time thanks to his impressive show in the domestic circuit, which included a mammoth 379-run knock against Assam in the Ranji Trophy.
However, Shaw is yet to find a place in the playing XI in the ongoing T20I series against New Zealand, but that can change if the team management decides to bench either Gill or Kishan.
New Zealand dangerous as unit
The fact that India were able to limit the New Zealand to less than 100 runs in the second T20I while the Kiwis still managed to extend the game into the final over speaks volumes about the calibre of their fighting spirit as a unit.
For Kiwis, Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips are carrying the scoring reins, however, one can expect ODI series star Michael Bracewell to rise to the occasion and play a swashbuckling innings. In the bowling department, players like Ish Sodhi, and Mitchell Santner can make India batters dance to their tunes, while speedster Lockie Ferguson can be the trump card considering that he boasts of the experience of playing at the Narendra Modi Stadium, which was his home ground in the IPL 2022.
New Zealand defeated India in the first T20I with not much problems, and they are surely capable of doing the same on Wednesday.
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