Eyeing a series sweep, the middle-order will be desperate to deliver as the Indian team management looks to rotate their bowlers in the third and final ODI against New Zealand on Tuesday. Opener Shubman Gill has been in scintillating form, scoring a sensational double century in the opener, followed by a low-scoring 40 in the second ODI. Captain Rohit Sharma is also doing well. However, the home team is aware that despite enjoying an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series, Shubman and Rohit have been the only two batsmen among runs for the hosts.
Also, it is also a fact that others have not been tested and Dead Rubber will be the perfect opportunity for players like Ishan Kishan, Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav to get some batting practice in match conditions.
Kohli’s problems against left-arm spin have once again come to the fore as the talismanic batsman has been dismissed time and again by Mitchell Santner.
After scoring three hundreds in four innings, the former skipper was dismissed cheaply in both the ODIs as New Zealand’s star left-arm spinner exposed Kohli’s weaknesses. With the World Cup just a few months away, Kohli will be keen on some much-needed course correction.
In the absence of Shreyas Iyer, Suryakumar was expected to provide some firepower at the back end.
However, the leading T20 batsman failed to do so in the series-opener. Hardik has also been faltering with the bat of late. He has had a mediocre series against Sri Lanka and is yet to impress against New Zealand.
With T20 fixtures this weekend and the all-important Australia series starting next month, the team management could look at resting players and handing over Rajat Patidar, who was called in place of the injured Iyer. went. a debut.
Patidar has impressed in the domestic circuit as well as in the IPL.
There could also be changes in the bowling department with fast bowler Umran Malik returning to the side or leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal replacing Kuldeep Yadav.
Both Chahal and Umran have not featured in the series so far and with the ODI World Cup later this year, the team management is looking to test key players while carefully monitoring workloads.
Indian bowlers were guilty of helping New Zealand score more than 300 runs in the first ODI by scoring 131 runs for six wickets, but the fast bowlers made a strong comeback in the Raipur game.
Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Hardik were clinical while the spinners have also done a good job.
New Zealand, on the other hand, would be eager to get a consolation win to boost their morale. For that to happen, the Black Caps, who are without the services of regular skipper Kane Williamson, will have to overcome their batting woes.
New Zealand’s top six batsmen have scored 40 or more runs on only seven occasions in the last 30 innings. The only batsman to impress in their line-up is Michael Bracewell, who along with Mitchell Santner almost carried his side to Hyderabad.
Even bounce and short boundaries make the Holkar Stadium pitch batsmen-friendly and the bowlers will be hard pressed to keep the scoring under control.
Teams (from): India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Suryakumar Yadav, KS Bharat (wk), Hardik Pandya (vc), Washington Sundar, Shahbaz Ahmed , Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj and Umran Malik.
New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen, Doug Bracewell, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner.
The match will start at 1.30 pm.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and was auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
featured video of the day
Sack Wrestling Body Chief, Say Athletes Over #MeToo. wait, the minister says
topics covered in this article