3rd T20I, New Zealand vs India: Preview, Dream11 and stats
India will be aiming for a T20I series win against New Zealand when the two teams face each other at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Wednesday. The Men in Blue lead the five-match series 2-0 at the moment. New Zealand have to bounce back hard in order to keep themselves alive in this must-win scenario. Here's the match preview.
Timing, TV listing, pitch report and conditions
The match is scheduled to start at 12:30 PM IST. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and stream the same on Hotstar. As per reports, conditions are expected to be cloudy, however, there no threat of rain. The pitch will not be a delightful affair for the batsmen. Bowlers will have a say in the match.
Dream11: Rahul and Guptill get the leadership nods
The in-form KL Rahul (captain) and Martin Guptill (vice-captain) open the batting in this Dream11 side. Indian captain Virat Kohli comes in next and is joined by Kane Williamson and Shreyas Iyer to bolster the batting. Tim Seifert is the wicket-keeper batsman, whereas, Ravindra Jadeja is the all-rounder. Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Tim Southee are the pacers. Ish Sodhi is the spin option.
3rd T20I: Records that can get scripted
Guptill (2,499) needs one more to get to 2,500 career T20I runs and become only the third batsman to script this feat. Ross Taylor (1,815) needs 64 runs to surpass Aaron Finch's tally (1,878). India are eyeing a maiden T20I series win in New Zealand. Kiwi spinner Ish Sodhi is one wicket away from the mark of 50.
What did the captains say ahead of the match?
"I know New Zealand are going to bounce back hard. We need to bring our A game again and we are up for the challenge," said Kohli. "We need to keep moving forward as a group as we're up against a tough side like India. That's a great thing, we get to test ourselves against the best," said Kiwi skipper Williamson.
India are the favorites against New Zealand
Team India will start as the favorites in the third T20I. The side won the first two matches in a convincing fashion and will hope to continue in a similar manner. India are doing most things right and that will please Kohli. Meanwhile, the Kiwis have plenty to chew upon. The final product is what's lacking for the Williamson-led side.
