5th T20I, New Zealand vs India: Preview, Dream11 and stats
The Indian cricket team will be aiming for a clean sweep against New Zealand when the two sides meet for the fifth and final T20I on Sunday. India have a 4-0 lead in the series. The previous two games were dictated by the Super Over after things ended in a tie. One can expect another close affair this time.
Timing, venue, TV listing, pitch report and conditions
The match is set to start at 12:30 PM IST. It will be held at the Bay Oval, Tauranga. One can watch the match live on the Star Sports Network and streamed on Hotstar. The pitch is expected to be a bit slower and spinners will have something for them. There is no rainfall predicted. We will get a full game on Sunday.
Dream11: Rahul, Munro get the leadership nods
Wicket-keeper batsman KL Rahul (captain) opens the batting alongside Colin Munro (vice-captain) in this Dream11 side. Indian skipper Virat Kohli comes in next and is followed by Kane Williamson. Manish Pandey adds depth in the middle order. Tim Seifert and bowling all-rounder Mitchell Santner also make the cut. The bowling unit sees the likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Navdeep Saini, Ish Sodhi and Hamish Bennett.
5th T20I: Records that could get scripted
KL Rahul needs 84 runs to register the mark of 1,500 in T20Is (1,416). He could become only the sixth Indian to do so. Ross Taylor requires 44 runs to register the mark of 1,900. He could become the third Kiwi batsman to achieve the same. Jasprit Bumrah (56) needs two wickets to surpass Dwayne Bravo's tally of 57.
India will try to check their bench strength
India will be trying out their bench strength once again. The previous match saw the likes of Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma get rest. In this match we could see a similar pattern unfold. Rishabh Pant, who hasn't got a single game, could come in the middle order. Kuldeep Yadav could feature in place of Washington Sundar.
Kiwis aim for consolation victory
New Zealand came close to winning the previous two games but panicked in the final over on both occasions. They need to clear the mental hurdle and get past the finish line. A consolation win is what the Kiwis will be wanting. Meanwhile, skipper Kane Williamson, who missed the fourth T20I with a shoulder injury, will be assessed.
