New Zealand vs India 3rd T20I prediction, lineups and Hnry Stadium pitch report — who will win?

New Zealand vs India 3rd T20I prediction, lineups and Hnry Stadium pitch report — who will win? originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Wellington’s wind has been blowing for days, and it may not be the only thing hurting New Zealand. They have scored 225 and 180 in Christchurch and lost both games, which makes this a series about small margins. India lead 2-0, and a win at Hnry Stadium on Tuesday 27 October (8pm local, 12.30pm IST) would settle it with two games to spare.

The hosts have not been outplayed so much as out-finished. In the opener, Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma put on 93 for the first wicket, Samson made 67 from 33, and Naman Dhir’s unbeaten 42 from 15 won it with two balls left. Two days later India got home again with four wickets in hand.

New Zealand vs. India prediction: Who will win? 

New Zealand’s best hope is their spin. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell have taken eight wickets in 16 overs, while the pacers have managed only four wickets between them. Those spinners have also gone for 132 runs, and the pace group now loses Matt Henry for the series and Lockie Ferguson for this game. Santner has blamed the small moments in the field, and four wides in the first five overs of the opener, long-hops and a dropped chance at long-on show what he means.

India have won nine of their last ten against New Zealand, and Tilak Varma has never finished on the losing side in 26 T20 chases. They also have Arshdeep Singh, whose 38 wickets this year are one short of Josh Little’s record for a Full Member player. The one wobble is their batting against spin, where Tilak has a strike rate of 76 against 220 against pace. That is a real opening for Santner and Bracewell, though the shorter boundaries here may tempt India into taking them on.

The Cricket News Prediction: India to win.

New Zealand vs India predicted lineups, team news for 3rd T20I

India still have no Ishan Kishan, so Vaibhav Sooryavanshi should get another go. The side has no reason to change a balance that has delivered two wins, and Nitish Kumar Reddy has bowled two decent 19th overs.

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India predicted lineup for New Zealand

Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Shreyas Iyer (c), Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav, Arshdeep Singh

New Zealand will be without Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson for this clash.

New Zealand predicted lineup for India

Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Bevon Jacobs or Devon Conway, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (c), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy

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New Zealand vs India pitch report, 3rd T20I, Hnry Stadium, Wellington

The pitch should be fresh, so a very slow surface is unlikely. The square boundaries are only around 60 metres, which makes a big total more likely than a collapse. Winds of up to 55 kph hit the city on match eve, and while they should ease a little, they will still matter, especially for the spinners and for anyone trying to clear the rope. Some rain is forecast but should pass before the start. New Zealand have won only two of their seven T20Is at this ground since 2020. South Africa defended 164 here last season, and a chase of 216 has also worked.

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