New Zealand vs India, 3rd ODI: Key player battles
The third and final ODI against New Zealand would be a do-or-die affair for India as the hosts boast an unassailable 1-0 lead. While the Kiwis won the opening contest by seven wickets, the second game got abandoned due to rain. Hence, Shikhar Dhawan's men can tie the series 1-1 with a win. Here we decode the key player battles.
Shubman Gill vs Tim Southee
Shubman Gill scored 50 in the opener and backed it up with an unbeaten 45 in the washed-out affair. The young opener has certainly tackled the new ball against a prominent attack. Meanwhile, Gill has been particularly watchful against Tim Southee, scoring 16 off 23 balls against him in the series. The veteran pacer would like to dismiss him cheaply in the decider.
Suryakumar Yadav vs Lockie Ferguson
After managing just four in the opener, Suryakumar Yadav batted aggressively in the second game. He was unbeaten on 34 off 25 balls before the game got abandoned. While Lockie Ferguson dismissed SKY in the opener, the Indian dasher dominated him in Hamilton. He collected 17 runs off 11 deliveries against Ferguson in the contest. The pacer overall leaked 24 in 2.5 overs.
Kane Williamson vs Umran Malik
The opening game marked Umran Malik's debut in ODI cricket and the speed merchant claimed 2/66 in 10 overs. NZ skipper Kane Williamson, who was Umran's captain at Sunrisers Hyderabad, brilliantly tackled the young speedster. He scored 23 off 22 balls against the Jammu and Kashmir pacer, who was constantly clocking over 145 KPH. Notably, Williamson returned unbeaten on 94 off 98 deliveries.
Tom Latham vs Yuzvendra Chahal
Tom Latham played arguably his best ODI knock in the opener, scoring an unbeaten 104-ball 145. He dominated Yuzvendra Chahal in the middle overs, scoring 29 off 25 balls against him. The leg-spinner returned with poor figures of 0/67 in 10 overs. However, Chahal will hope to settle the scores as Latham has fallen prey to leg-spinners 11 times in 41 ODI innings.
Pitch report, timing, and broadcast details
The Hagley Oval in Christchurch will host this duel on Wednesday (November 30). Sides batting first have won 11 of the 22 ODIs here, with the average first-innings score being 247. Fast bowlers are expected to get assistance with the new ball. The match will be telecast live on DD Sports (7:00 AM IST) and live-streamed on the Amazon Prime Video app (paid subscription).
