3rd ODI preview: Rain and hail come in the way of India’s bid to win the series
New Zealand are under pressure again against India in the ongoing full format tour. Like the T20Is, they have lost the first two ODIs and are now in danger of another defeat that would end their remarkable home ODI series win streak.
New Zealand have won their last 11 ODI series at home, with their previous defeat coming against, guess who, India in 2019. The hosts were bullied in the opening ODI but put up a commendable fight in the second.
New Zealand almost had India by the scruff of the neck after reducing them to a paltry 134. Shubman Gill’s side barely scrambled to three wickets, courtesy of DLS and a match-winning innings from KL Rahul, who scored 26 off 38 balls.
Read that again, 26 off 38 balls, an innings almost as slow as his knock in the 2023 ODI World Cup final.
The New Zealand batsmen really struggled to keep up with the Indian bouncers’ barrage and the fact that they have several injured regulars didn’t help them either.
The third ODI might have threatened a similar scenario, but the hosts have some insurance this time.
Rain.
Rain and hail threaten to spoil the third clash in Hamilton, meaning New Zealand could wait another day. 3rd ODI to start at 15:00 local time in Hamilton (Screenshot BBC Weather Forecast)
The fact that several Indian players will be unavailable for the final two ODIs due to their Test commitments means New Zealand could theoretically have a better chance of leveling the series if Tuesday’s third ODI is scrapped.
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: TEAM NEWS
India will look to seal the series before attention shifts to the two-match rubber Test against New Zealand. The third ODI is Shubman Gill’s last match as captain in this series, with the skipper joining the Test squad ahead of the opening match in Wellington on 19 November.
Shreyas Iyer will take over the captaincy for the last two ODIs in Tauranga. KL Rahul is also leaving the ODI camp to join the Test squad, which would give Ishan Kishan an opportunity to take over the wicket duties.
India’s bowling attack has been one of the biggest positives of the series. Auqib Nabi impressedwhile Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh also delivered. However, with the Test series around the corner, India may not want to push their frontline fast bowlers unnecessarily. Mohammed Siraj, in particular, could rest with the red ball task.
For New Zealand, the injury list continues to be worrying. Devon Conway suffered concussion after a collision with Matt Henry, while an injury to Rachin Ravindra further weakened their batting options. Blair Tickner is also unavailable after suffering concussion, with Kristian Clarke called up as his replacement.
The hosts need their senior batsmen to step up. Tom Latham and Henry Nicholls struggled in the first two matches, while Tim Seifert and Will Young were unable to provide the kind of start New Zealand needed. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips will also have to shoulder more responsibility in the middle order.
The third ODI is an important opportunity for Latham and Nicholls to get some runs under their belts ahead of the Test series. New Zealand cannot afford another top-order collapse, especially against an Indian attack that has found plenty of help in the conditions.
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: PITCH REPORT
Seddon Park offered plenty of help to the Mariners and the third ODI is unlikely to be any different. In fact, there’s a chance it could swing and stitch if the match goes through.
The Indian fast bowlers made excellent use of the bounce and movement on offer and repeatedly troubled New Zealand’s top order with short deliveries.
IND vs NZ: HAMILTON WEATHER UPDATE
However, the weather may have had the biggest say in Hamilton. Rain and a chance of hail are forecast for Tuesday, with the cold and wet expected to make life difficult for both teams. The prospect of another rain-affected match is very real after the second ODI in Wellington was also interrupted by weather.
If the game gets going, the Welders are likely to enjoy another productive outing. New Zealand will be hoping that their bowlers can take advantage of the familiar conditions and put the Indian batting under pressure, while the visitors will want a more convincing batting display than they put up in Wellington.
The elimination would leave the series at 2-0, with India still needing one win from the last two matches to seal it. But the equation could get complicated for the visitors as several first-choice players are expected to drop out of the ODI squad for the pre-Tests. Staring at the end of their long home unbeaten run, New Zealand will take whatever the weather has to offer.
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: PREDICTED PLAYING XIS
New Zealand
Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Tom Latham (wk), Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Matt Fisher/Kristian Clarke, Jacob Duffy
India
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Naman Dhir, Axar Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: LIVESTREAM
The third ODI starts at 7:30 AM IST on Tuesday, November 10. You can catch the broadcast on Sony Sports Network and live streaming on SonyLiv.
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