India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test: Latham elects to bat
Team New Zealand is on the verge of scripting cricketing history in their ongoing Test series against India. Having already taken a 2-0 lead in the three-match series, the Kiwis are now eyeing an unprecedented clean sweep on Indian soil. If they succeed, this will be the first time any team will have done so in a series of more than two Tests. Meanwhile, NZ skipper Tom Latham won the toss in the final game and elected to bat first.
Bumrah and Santner rested
Both teams have made key changes as India's pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah misses out and Mohammed Siraj replaces him in the XI. Indian skipper Rohit Sharma stated that the former is "not well". Meanwhile, NZ's hero from the last game, Mitchell Santner will also not take the field due to fitness issues. He makes way for Ish Sodhi. In another change for NZ, Matt Henry has replaced Tim Southee.
Here are the playing XIs
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke. India (Playing XI): Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.
Wankhede Stadium's pitch and weather conditions
Mumbai's Wankhede Stadium will host this game, starting on November 1 (9:30am IST). The dry red-soil surface at this venue is expected to turn early. It will deteriorate as the Test progresses, but should provide good bounce for both the fast bowlers and spinners. The weather in Mumbai is predicted to be humid during the match. The Sports18 Network will broadcast the match live, while live-streaming is available on the JioCinema app.
Mumbai Test crucial for ICC World Test Championship standings
The Mumbai Test is extremely crucial for both teams in the ICC World Test Championship (WTC). Although India currently top the points table, their position has been compromised by the recent defeats. Another loss could put their standing in jeopardy ahead of the Australian tour. Meanwhile, New Zealand's surprise wins have reignited their hopes of making it to the WTC final, which seemed improbable at the start of this series.
New Zealand's resilience and adaptability key to success
New Zealand's success in the series thus far has been due to their resilience and adaptability. They bundled out India for mere 46 runs in the opener in Bengaluru, and stood firm in a difficult second innings. Despite contrasting conditions in Pune, the Kiwis managed another victory. Mitchell Santner's exceptional bowling skills have been instrumental in New Zealand's victories, with his knowledge of Indian conditions coming handy.
India aim to avoid clean sweep before Australia tour
For India, the challenge is to bounce back from these unexpected losses and clinch a win before their Australia tour. Although the series has already been decided in New Zealand's favor, the upcoming Test is anything but insignificant. All eyes will be on Virat Kohli, who has been struggling against spin bowling for quite some time now. His performance could be pivotal to India's attempts to avoid a clean sweep by New Zealand.
Here are the key performers
As per ESPNcricinfo, Kohli has scored 469 runs in eight innings at an average of 58.62 in Mumbai. Rohit Sharma has played only one Test here, scoring an unbeaten 111 against West Indies in 2013. Since his debut in November 2018, New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel has claimed the most wickets for an overseas spinner in Asia (70). New Zealand pacer Matt Henry is third on the list of fast bowlers for most Test wickets this year (31).
