India v New Zealand 3rd ODI: New Zealand Predicted XI

India were the hot favourites coming into the series. Virat Kohli’s men had registered a convincing 4-1 series win over a strong looking Australian team. The Kiwis surprised the hosts by winning the first game quite easily with 6 wickets in hand. Coming into the second contest India needed to win to stay alive in the series.

The Men in Blue had their backs to the walls but did not fail to turn up. New Zealand batted first and was pegged back at the start as the Indian bowlers castled three early wickets. The visitors were forced to play catch up from that situation and ended their innings at 230 which was below par on the pitch.

The target was always going to be easy for the famed Indian batting line-up. And they did chase it quite easily with half centuries from Shikar Dhawan and Dinesh Karthik ensuring that India chased down the total with relative ease. India won the match with 6 wickets in hand to level the series.

This means that the stakes are very high for the final match as it will decide the outcome of the series. It would be a great morale boost for New Zealand if they are able to beat India in their backyard. It is not going to be easy to beat the home team though, the Black Caps will have to get the team selection spot on if they want to win. Let’s take a look at their predicted XI for third ODI:

Openers (Martin Guptill and Colin Munro)

Guptill is one of the most feared openers in limited overs format in world cricket. The right-handed opening batsman started on a positive note in the second ODI. He hit 2 fours and looked in the aggressive mode before he was undone by Bhuneshwar Kumar. The New Zealand batsman got out for just 11, Kiwis would be expecting much more from him in the last ODI.

Colin Munro only knows one way of playing and that is to take on the bowlers. The left-handed makeshift opener hit a six early in his innings in the position. But apart from that he struggled to get his timing right and failed to even rotate the strike. He missed reading the knuckleball from Bhuvneshwar and was bowled. The Black Caps need Munro to provide them with a good start in the final ODI.

Middle Order (Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Henry Nicholls)

Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson is one of the best batsmen in the world. He is one of the better players of spin too but he has failed to make much impact in the series. He has two low scores in the two innings of the ongoing series. Williamson would be looking to make amends in the final game.

Ross Taylor played brilliantly in the first ODI, where he was unlucky to miss out on a century. In the second ODI, he got a start but failed to capitalize on it. He was dismissed for the score of 21. The Kiwis would be banking on the experience of Taylor in the series decider.

Henry Nicholls only got to face one ball in the first ODI. But in the second game, he had to come out to bat with New Zealand in a lot of trouble. To his credit, he did a decent job in saving the sinking ship as he scored 41 runs. Kiwis would be hoping for a consistent effort from the middle order batsman.

Wicketkeeper (Tom Latham)

The wicketkeeper-batsman was the star of the show for New Zealand in the first game as he stroked his way to a brilliant century. In the second ODI, he was another visiting batsmen who got a decent start but failed to make it big. Latham was dismissed for 38, but New Zealand would be hoping he anchors the innings in the 3rd game much like the first ODI.

All-Rounders (Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner)

Colin de Grandhomme didn’t have a major contribution to make in the first match. He didn’t get a chance to bat and was only given a spell of 4 overs. In the second match, the all-rounder gave a better account of himself scoring at a good rate. De Grandhomme hit some good shots on Wednesday and New Zealand would be wishing for more of the same on Sunday.

Santner proved his credentials of becoming a genuine all-rounder in the second ODI. He walked out to bat when New Zealand were in a spot of bother but he made a good contribution with a bat to take the team to a respectable score. He did well with the ball too giving away just 38 runs in 10 and took the vital wicket of Hardik Pandya. The Kiwis would be expecting to chip in with few wickets in the middle overs on Sunday.

Pace bowlers (Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult)

Southee is a great swing bowler who has served New Zealand cricket for a number of years. But the Kiwi pacer has been off-colour in this series as he has gone for runs. Southee conceded 73 runs in the first match and 60 runs in 9 overs in the second. He enjoys the trust of his captain and the management will in all likelihood back him.

Adam Milne leaked a lot of runs in the first ODI but he made amends in the second. He gave away just 21 runs in 8 overs at a miserly economy rate of  2.62. The Kiwis would be hoping Milne is at his best and gets them crucial breakthroughs to put the pressure on the Indian batsmen.

Trent Boult wrecked havoc in the opening ODI as he broke the back of Indian batting with two early wickets. He took 4 wickets in the match as he was awarded the Man of the Match award For the victory. The left-arm fast bowler was not as effective in the second ODI as he failed to pick any wicket. At Kanpur early wickets from their lead pacer will be the key to success for the visitors.