New Zealand vs India 2020: 4th T20I, New Zealand's Predicted XI

It’s hard being anyone from the New Zealand camp right now. It’s even harder being Kane Williamson, whose efforts went in vain in a bid to keep the T20 series alive for the hosts.

Amid the devastation, the skipper labelled the performance in Hamilton as a significant improvement from the last two games. And it was as the hosts curbed the run-scoring of the Indian batsmen and came the closest to beating India so far.

Also Read: New Zealand vs India 2020: 4th T20I, Wellington – Match Prediction

But the Kiwis cannot afford to lose heart yet. If they manage to win the dead rubbers in Wellington and Mount Maunganui, that will provide them with the much-needed confidence ahead of the ODI and Test series.

Hence, the final two games are as important for New Zealand as the first three.

We take a look at the predicted XI for the fourth T20I for New Zealand:

Martin Guptill:

It was the third time in a row that Martin Guptill perished for a 30 something score. In the fourth game, the 33-year old looked set for a big inning, having collected first three boundaries in the form of sixes.

Sadly, it wasn’t to be as he holed a boundary ball to the deep fielder on the offside. But he has done enough to guarantee a place for the next two games.

Colin Munro:

Colin Munro found two boundaries on two occasions, but after an injury to his ribs off Mohammed Shami curtailed his ability to go in full flow.

Eventually, Ravindra Jadeja got his wicket when he shimmied down the wicket to smash it out of the park. The southpaw is expected to feature in the fourth game despite what appeared as a serious injury.

Kane Williamson(c):

Kane Williamson couldn’t have done anything more right in a must-win game for New Zealand. It was one of the rare days that even Jasprit Bumrah couldn’t find a way past the Black Caps skipper.

In total, Williamson cracked 25 off 12 balls off Bumrah during his knock of 95 in pursuit of 180. He would be looking to secure the first win for the hosts on this tour and seeking more support from his batting colleagues.

Ross Taylor:

Ross Taylor started the series impressively by scoring an unbeaten 54 off 27 balls in Auckland. However, since then, the 35-year old has looked a bit out of sorts. He scratched his way to 18 in the second game and failed to secure one run to keep New Zealand in the series. The Kiwis need their veteran player to step up more than ever not only in the next two games, but also in the ODI and Test series.

Tim Seifert(wk):

Tim Seifert scored an invaluable knock of 33 in the second game to carry New Zealand to a respectable total.

At Seddon Park, the gloveman came in the middle under reasonable pressure and failed to thrive in the face of some brilliant spell of bowling from Mohammed Shami.

The Kiwis should consider promoting him slightly up the order.

Daryl Mitchell:

Top-order batsman Tom Bruce will replace all-rounder Colin De Grandhomme for the fourth and fifth match. However, New Zealand would prefer a like to like replacement and hence, Daryl Mitchell is likely to replace him in the eleven. The home side would expect Mitchell to step up if he gets picked and perform the all-rounder’s role to good effect contrary to De Grandhomme, who seemed out of form.

Mitchell Santner:

At the loss of Colin Munro, the Kiwi think-tank decided to give Mitchell Santner a promotion to keep the run-rate on the higher side. The plan didn’t backfire, nor it reaped the rewards as the left-arm spinner perished for 9 but helped the captain put on 36 off 26 deliveries. With the ball, Santner kept things relatively tight and bagged the crucial wicket of Shreyas Iyer. Going into the last two games, he should keep his place.

Tim Southee:

Tim Southee has found himself in the fulcrum in all of New Zealand’s super overs so far. In all six super overs, Southee is the one who rolled his arms, but managed to secure a win only once for New Zealand. The 31-year old started the super over well by conceding only three runs off two deliveries in defense of 18. However, the next four balls went for 23 runs as India romped home in a stunning fashion. He would be keen to make amends and adopt consistency moving forward.

Ish Sodhi:

Ish Sodhi bowled with little discipline in the first game; however, continued to improve from the second game. In the third match in Hamilton, the leggie didn’t pick any wicket but put the tourists under pressure. New Zealand will need Ish Sodhi to respond with wickets as well as much as he keeps things tight.

Hamish Bennett:

Hamish Bennett came under real pressure in the third game, having not picked up a single wicket within the first two. His second over went for 27 runs as Rohit Sharma carted him for three sixes.

Nevertheless, he responded well by picking up three wickets and conceding only 14 runs. Given how he bounced back, the 32-year-old should find himself in the playing eleven to make more inroads in the upcoming games.

Scott Kuggeleijn:

Scott Kuggeleign came into the playing eleven for the third T20I in place of Blair Tickner. And New Zealand’s bowling attack instantly showed signs of improvement.

Though the 28-year-old bowled only two overs without any wicket, he didn’t let the Indian batsmen off the hook.

Considering the match figures, Kuggeleign may have been a better option instead of Southee to bowl the super over.

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