After a demoralizing defeat in the second Test and a resultant series loss for the first time in 12 years at home, the Indian men's cricket team will play for pride in the third and final Test at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, starting November 1. (More Cricket News)
The BlackCaps put up a sterling performance in the first two Tests, winning them by eight wickets and 113 runs respectively to clinch their first-ever Test series victory on Indian soil. While the first Test was won on the back of high-quality seam bowling in overcast conditions of the first morning in Bengaluru, the performance in the second Test is what would have pleased the Kiwis even more.
The visitors outbatted, outfielded and even out-spun the Indian team on a spin-friendly surface in Pune to leave the Indian side with no answers. The home team's batting line-up failed abjectly in both innings, while the spin twins Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin were relatively ineffective for once.
India Vs New Zealand, 3rd Test: Preview
The magnifying glass is firmly on senior pros like Virat Kohli and captain Rohit Sharma, the former in particular unable to counter spin like he used to in years past. With the Border-Gavaskar Trophy coming up next and the Indian squad already announced, the onus is on the experienced batters to find some form before they are tested in bouncy, challenging surfaces Down Under.
Experts and former India cricketers are also having their say on the matter. Former wicketkeeper Dinesh Karthik believes the onus for the Test series loss to New Zealand rests with the senior Indian players, while former batter Sanjay Manjrekar feels it would be unfair to place the blame on coach Gautam Gambhir.
Meanwhile, skipper Rohit said the Indian batters must emulate their Kiwi counterparts in terms of planning. "I do not doubt anyone's ability. I won't do much postmortem of this, but batters must come with their plans and trust on the plans like New Zealand batters showed," Rohit said during the post-match press conference in Pune.
Rohit added, "You don't need to overreact. But you need to have a quiet chat with certain individuals and let them know where they are at and what, as a team, we require from them."
India Vs New Zealand, 3rd Test: Head-To-head Record
India have faced the Kiwis 65 times in Test cricket, with India winning 22 of those to New Zealand's 15 victories. 28 games have been either drawn or abandoned.
India Vs New Zealand, 3rd Test: Live Streaming Details
When and where will the India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test be played?
The India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test will be played at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai between November 1 and 5, 2024. The first day will commence at 9:30 am IST.
Where will the India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test be telecast and live streamed?
The India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test will be broadcast on the Sports18 network in India. It will be live streamed on the Jio Cinema app and website in India.
India Vs New Zealand, 3rd Test: Squads
New Zealand: Devon Conway, Tom Latham (c), Will Young, Kane Williamson, Michael Bracewell, Daryl Mitchell, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Tom Blundell (wk), Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ajaz Patel, William O'Rourke.
India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Rishabh Pant (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel, Axar Patel, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar.
