Last Update on: November 22nd, 2022 at 11:14 am
IND vs NZ: New Zealand Playing XI vs India (Predicted), India Tour Of New Zealand 2022, 3rd T20I. India and New Zealand will square off in the third and final fixture of the T20I series on Tuesday, November 22. The Men In Blue will head to McLean Park in Napier with a chance to win the series.
The hosts will be out to seek parity in the series after a thrashing received in the 2nd T20I at Mount Maunganui. It was a no-brainer to choose to bat first at the Bay Oval after winning the toss.
Kane Williamson opted to bowl against an attacking Indian batting lineup at a venue where only once a team had successfully chased down a total. Though it wasn’t an easy pitch to bat on, India’s superhero, Suryakumar Yadav showed why he is a class apart. He was the only batsman from both teams who looked comfortable playing his strokes.
As both teams travel to Napier, there is everything to play for. India can seal the series 2-0 with a win at McLean Park while the hosts can bounce back and level the series. A batting-friendly pitch and short square boundaries will make for a high-scoring match between two strong batting teams.
Riding on Suryakumar Yadav’s blistering hundred and the bowlers’ impressive showing, India defeated New Zealand by 65 runs in the second T20 International to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series on Sunday.
The in-form Suryakumar Yadav fired yet again with a scintillating hundred as India posted 191 for six. In reply, New Zealand were all out for 126 in 18.5 overs, with Deepak Hooda taking 4/10 in 2.5 overs. Tim Southee picked up a hat-trick when he took three wickets on the trot in the innings’ last over to finish with figures of 3/34. The first match of the series was a washout.
Brief Scores:
India: 191/6 in 20 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 111 not out; Tim Southee 3/34) beat New Zealand: 126 all out in 18.5 overs (Kane Williamson 61; Deepak Hooda 4/10) by 65 runs.
The Blackcaps aren’t used to such a thrashing at home. It wasn’t going to be easy chasing down a 192-run target at the Bay Oval. But the way in which New Zealand went down was unlike a T20 World Cup semi-finalist.
Kane Williamson was the top scorer for the hosts with a 61 off 52-ball knock which never made any impact on the innings. Considering the skipper’s form of late, it is bad news for the Blackcaps if Kane Williamson is the top team batsman in a T20I match.
New Zealand are a strong team and they know how to bounce back. They have done it before. Finn Allen, Devon Conway, and Glenn Phillips can be the game changers for New Zealand. In the lower middle order, the likes of Daryl Mitchell and James Neesham will also be key to a comeback from NZ.
Both the teams had come in following their exit from the semifinal stage of the 2022 T20 World Cup in Australia. New Zealand were defeated by Pakistan, while India were defeated by eventual champions England.
India will begin a new era in T20 cricket under Hardik Pandya’s leadership. The Men in Blue won’t be having a new-look team, while New Zealand will be without Martin Guptill and Trent Boult.
For New Zealand, it will be about doing well at home. NZC board has placed a bet on youngster Finn Allen, and it would be interesting to see how he manages to cope with high expectations.
Skipper Kane Williamson will also be keen to prove himself after the snub by Sunrisers Hyderabad before IPL 2023 mini auctions for having a poor IPL 2022.
Adam Milne may replace Trent Boult in New Zealand’s playing XI. Finn Allen’s retention at the top of the order for both ODI and T20I squads means there’s no room for Martin Guptill. Trent Boult is the other notable omission from the squads – with Tim Southee, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner, and Adam Milne filling the pace bowling ranks in T20Is.
New Zealand Predicted Playing XI:
Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (c), Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson
New Zealand’s T20I Squad: Kane Williamson (C) (unavailable for 3rd T20I)/Mark Chapman, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Finn Allen (wk), Devon Conway (wk), Glenn Phillips(wk), Lockie Ferguson, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (captain for 3rd T20I), Blair Tickner.
IND vs NZ: New Zealand Playing XI vs India (Predicted), India Tour Of New Zealand 2022, 3rd T20I
Finn Allen
Finn Allen scored 13, 16, 62, 32, and 12 in the recent tri-series also featuring Pakistan and Bangladesh. He has a stunning strike rate of 165.4 having played 23 T20Is where he scored a ton and 2 fifties. His career best of 101 came against Scotland.
He was the 6th highest run-getter in the New Zealand tri-series by virtue of scoring 135 runs in 5 T20Is averaging 27 at a strike rate of 145.16.
Finn Allen, who was picked ahead of Martin Guptill, showed his explosive power at the top, striking at just over 145 across five games. He however had an unsuccessful T20 World Cup 2022, scoring only 95 runs in 5 T20Is averaging 19. He failed to score against India in the 2nd T20I being Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s victim.