India’s proud record of unbeaten streak in the last 12 bilateral T20I home series will be put to the test in Wednesday’s third and final game against New Zealand.
With a 1-1 draw, both teams will give it their all in this decisive series.
The atmosphere is bound to be evocative given the expected packed crowds at the massive Narendra Modi stadium here.
For New Zealand pacemaker Rocky Ferguson, who played for the Gujarat Titans in his IPL last year, this is a return to familiar territory.
“The Indian audience is second to none. Her love of gaming is remarkable. Applause even if she took a wicket with a good ball. It’s the same if she hits a six or she hits a four,” Ferguson said at a news conference Tuesday.
“For a young man like Ben Lister, it’s a special feeling to step into the biggest stadium in the world. It’s very exciting,” said Ferguson. It remains to be seen if the pitch will live up to the expectations of the Indian team. Captain Hardik Pandya was dissatisfied with the surface used in his T20s in his first two hitters struggled to find rhythm.
Narendra Modi Stadium’s latest figures do not paint a promising picture for the batsman. A low-scoring incident occurred in his IPL final here last May. By the way, it was Hardik’s all-out effort that helped the Gujarat Titans beat the Rajasthan Royals. The last international match played at the venue, ODI, where India won by 96 runs defending 265, was no runfest either.
The home side will be worried about the form of top-class batsmen such as Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripati. Gill failed to replicate the incredible touch he showed in his previous ODIs. Kishan and Tripathi look unconvincing and miss their chances of success.
If the 11-man change is warranted, Mumbai’s opener Prithvi’s show could be eyeing.
India Her team, who won her ICC Women’s U19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa a few days ago, will be honored here before the match starts. Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar and BCCI officials congratulated the team members, BCCI chief Jay Shah said on Twitter.
The squads:
India: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, and Prithvi Shaw.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (Captain), Finn Allen, Michael
Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rippon, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, and Blair Tickner.
(Match starts at 7 p.m.)