India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I: Toss Update, Playing 11, Pitch Report: Kiwis opt to bat first

Napier, November 22: India will be eager to wrap the T20I series when they face New Zealand in the 3rd T20I here at the McLean Park on Tuesday (November 22).

India has taken an unbeatable 1-0 lead in the three-match series following a win in the second T20I at the Bay Oval. The first T20I at Wellington was a washout.

But India’s designs of a series win and New Zealand’s of a series-levelling win had to wait for a while as a wet outfield and slight drizzle delayed the toss. But thankfully, the weather cleared soon for the toss to take place.

Kane Williamson will miss the match due to “pre-arranged medical appointment” as Tim Southee will lead the Kiwis. Here is the toss details from the India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I.

Toss: New Zealand won, elected to bat first.

Playing 11

India: Ishan Kishan, Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya (captain), Deepak Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (captain), Lockie Ferguson.

Pitch report / Ajay Jadeja & Anjum Chopra: “The pitch has been under covers for the last couple of hours. It looks like a belter, it's hard and not a lot of moisture. Side boundaries are really small. There is an even covering of grass, so the bounce could be spongy and that'll help the spinners to grip. The captain winning the toss will want to chase.”

Pre-match comments

Deepak Hooda, India all-rounder: “I am a batting allrounder so I have to score runs. But I look to contribute with the ball as well. Being an allrounder, I have to perform and I have been working hard with the ball. I have not got enough games and given a chance, I will look to do well.

“Given a choice I would take the No.5 spot given there are good players at No. 3. It takes time to adapt. I think about my heavy domestic record. I have played at many spots and each spot has its struggles. It is about being a utility player.”

Hardik Pandya, India captain: “We wanted to bowl first anyway, so we got what we wanted. I think the pitch will remain the same for the entire 40 overs, but with the grass on it, there could be some lateral movement for our pacers. We do keep the dimensions in mind, but we do the skill-set in our bowling line-up. We can't think too much about the conditions - One change, Harshal comes in place of Washington Sundar.”

Tim Southee, New Zealand captain: “We will bat. Looks like a pitch where we can put the runs on the board. We can't really control the weather, but the history of this ground suggests good batting conditions. Our bowling the other night wasn't the best, but credit to Sky. Mark Chapman comes in straightaway. You look back at places where we can improve as a team.”

Adam Milne, NZ pacer: “He (SKY) is a very difficult batter to bowl to, he can hit 360 and is much like AB, we need to keep him guessing and throw him off with variations. I sort of saw him when I was at Mumbai Indians, he was a great then and now has gone to a new level, his confidence is up and some of the shots were ridiculous. You have to look at the dimensions of the ground and they dictate the way you bowl. Kane is a huge player, one of our best batters but (his absence) gives other players an opportunity.”