A Daryl Mitchell masterclass saw New Zealand level the three-match ODI series with a comfortable win in Rajkot.
Moving to Indore, it’s everything to play for. India are desperately looking to avoid another series loss at home, while the visitors will look to build on their momentum and steal an unlikely ODI series win in India.
For the series-deciding third ODI between India and New Zealand, here we present our preview and predictions.
The Indian batters had another mixed outing last time out. Barring a couple of big scores, the majority of the unit fared poorly. The hosts continued to struggle against spin, something that has been an issue for the last couple of years. Batting first on a slow batting pitch, they failed to get going.
Shubman Gill looked like he was batting on a different pitch as he got a sublime 56 before a soft dismissal. The experienced batting line-up of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Ravindra Jadeja struggled on a start-and-stop strip as India went from 70/0 to 191/5. KL Rahul once again stepped up as India’s go-to man in the middle, showcasing once again why he is the man for all situations. Rahul’s incredible 112* saw India reach a competitive 284/7, but the team will know they should have done more.
With no Jasprit Bumrah, the Indian bowling attack has been led by Mohammed Siraj for the past two ODIs. Siraj has been supported by the impressive Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna. While the seam attack was tight in the last game, Siraj and Co weren’t clinical enough to trouble the Kiwis much. Barring a fiery opening spell from Rana, India could not stop New Zealand from running away with the chase. The hosts were also poor in the field, dropping crucial catches that might have changed the course of the game.
The visitors, meanwhile, had a near perfect game in Rajkot. While their bowlers didn’t have the best start, the spinners ably put a hold on India’s ability to score freely. Debutant Jayden Lennox had a strong outing and was supported well by his captain, Michael Bracewell. And while the spinners restricted the flow of runs, pacers Kris Clarke and Zak Foulkes triggered a mini-collapse once again.
New Zealand’s batting was anchored by Will Young and Daryl Mitchell’s 162-run partnership, with Mitchell’s stunning 131* being the game-changing knock. Together, Mitchell and Young combatted the Indian spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja brilliantly, making them look flat.
Like Rajkot, the Indore stadium is another one that will be helpful to batters. While batters may get a fair few runs, spinners should be in play as well.
The hosts have struggled in the past few years against spin, but given the experience and talent in the Indian squad, they start as our favourites in this encounter and should take the series.
Fantasy XI: Rohit Sharma (vc), Devon Conway, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Glenn Philips, Daryl Mitchell, KL Rahul (wk), Michael Bracewell, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kyle Jamieson
Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
Winners Prediction: India
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