3rd T20I Match Prediction: India Versus New Zealand. Who Will Win?

We turn our attention to the last match in the T20I series against India and New Zealand. This match marks the halfway point of New Zealand’s tour of India, with two upcoming Test matches to follow. With the series secured 2-0, can India make it 3 -0, or will New Zealand manage to claw back one victory? Keep reading for our full cricket match prediction.

India Team Preview

India has really put New Zealand to the test with their pace bowling in the series so far. In the second game, Harshal Patel achieved his first international wicket, and spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel restricted New Zealand scoring.

India’s openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma both hit fifties apiece and shared a century opening stand in the second game to give the perfect platform for India to comfortably chase down New Zealand’s 153. This was Rahul’s fourth fifty in his last five T20’s. We can expect to see more of this going into the third match. India may decide to continue with an unchanged winning team for the final game.

New Zealand Team Preview

In the Powerplay, Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell gave New Zealand a great start to this match, scoring 48 runs. Guptill has moved ahead of Virat Kohli in the list of top run-scorers in T20 internationals. However, the partnership stalled against tight Indian bowling and could never cut loose.

Tim Southee, medium-fast, and Mitchell Santner, slow orthodox spin, produced some excellent bowling. Southee removed both Indian openers and finished 3 for 16 but the damage had been done.

Glen Phillips top scored with 34 off 21 balls, including three of New Zealand’s five 6’s and could be one to keep your eye on if you are thinking about some online cricket betting for the market of most sixes. However, with only 153 runs they fell short of an ideal 180 that would have set India a genuine challenge and a real opportunity to level the series.

Toss Prediction

So far, India captain Rohit Sharma has been fortunate to win both tosses. He has chosen both times to bowl first, taking the opportunity to chase New Zealand’s score. We think that if India can make it a hat-trick with the call, or New Zealand call correctly, they will choose to bowl first.

With the match again starting at 19:00 local time, the dew forming throughout the match will increase the chance of possible mistakes with a wet ball for the fielding team.

Pitch Conditions

The pitch at JSCA International Stadium Complex will have seen some wear and tear already from the previous two games; however we are sure to see plenty of runs to be scored. The dew will probably aid the team that bats second. New Zealand’s skipper Tim Southee mentioned after the last match they had practised with a wet ball, but it was not enough to secure a victory.

Our Match Prediction

The best betting sites for cricket seem to agree with us when we say that India will take the victory in this match. Although New Zealand have been putting up a good fight so far in the previous matches, India are on form, batting to bowling, and stronger than New Zealand.