759Views

Exactly the scenario which the Indians were looking for as their consecutive successful chase against the Blackcaps means that now they can try their arsenal of youngsters in the upcoming dead rubber, set to take place this Sunday at the famous Eden Gardens.

The Kiwis had a blazing start, scoring 64 runs in the power play, and looked on course to reach the 200-mark. However, a spirited bowling effort by the veteran off-spinner Ashwin and all-rounder Axar Patel ensured that the Kiwis were restricted to a rather below-par score of 153 runs.

In reply, the Indians with the help of their in-form openers managed to make a mockery out of the target. 

With a 7-0 win streak against the Kiwis in bilateral T20Is, a win for the Indians could register their second white-wash against New Zealand. The 2021 ICC T20 WC finalists would not want to own such a humiliating record and it looks certain they will come out all guns blazing.

Match Toss Time: 18:30 Local (13:00 GMT)

Match Start Time: 19:00 Local (13:30 GMT)

Match Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

Head to Head

Matches played: 19, India: 10, New Zealand: 9

Weather conditions and pitch

IND vs NZ weather and pitch

Team News

A plethora of changes are expected in the Indian line-up considering the dead rubber status of the match. We might see Ruturaj Gaikwad make his debut by replacing Suryakumar Yadav. Veteran Ravichandran Ashwin might be rested and Chahal might be given a shot.

In the fast bowling division, Avesh Khan is likely to make his debut replacing Bhuvneshwar Kumar. Another change expected is that of Rishabh Pant, as Ishan Kishan might be given a chance to flex his muscles. 

The Kiwis are expected to feature the same Xl as of the second encounter. It was surprising to see in-form spinner Ish Sodhi bowl just two overs. However, he is likely to continue in the line-up given the conditions in Eden are well in favor of the slower bowlers.

Probable Playing Xl

India (IND): KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (c), Suryakumar Yadav/ Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant (wk)/ Ishan Kishan (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin/ Yuzvendra Chahal, Bhuvneshwar Kumar/ Avesh Khan, Deepak Chahar, Harshal Patel

New Zealand (NZ): Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wk), James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee (c), Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

Must-Picks

Once again it was the openers who took the game away from the visitors and for that reason we back Rohit Sharma and Martin Guptill to pile on the runs.

Kiwi No.3 Mark Chapman and in-form Indian bowler Harshal Patel are our two other must-pick for the upcoming encounter.

IND vs NZ fantasy team

IND vs NZ fantasy team
Cricwizz fantasy team

Captain and VC picks

Rohit Sharma Martin Guptill IND vs NZ fantasy team
Rohit Sharma (C) and Martin Guptill (Vc)

Prediction

The hosts seem to be making easy work of the Blackcaps and the fact that the Kiwis look fatigued and out of options for fresh pair of legs, we back the Indian youngsters to put up a bold show.

The Eden Gardens will favor the spinners heavily and in addition to that, the Kiwis are without the services of Kane Williamson, who is their best player of spin. The onus will be on the veteran opener, Martin Guptill.

Cricwizz predicts India to win the 3rd T20I and white-wash the Kiwis, 3-0.

Disclaimer

All the information on Cricwizz is published in good faith and for general information purposes only. The website does not make any warranties about the completeness, reliability, and accuracy of this information. The website will not be liable for any losses and/or damages in connection with the use of our website.