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India Vs New Zealand: Unbeaten Run In T20I Home Series At Stake For Hardik Pandya’s Side

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India vice-captain Suryakumar Yadav makes his return to the venue where he made his international debut, in a T20I against England nearly a couple of years ago.

India’s proud record of staying unbeaten in the last 12 bilateral T20I home series will be tested when the side takes on New Zealand in the third and final match then on Wednesday.

With the scoreline tied at 1- 1, both brigades will go all out in this series decider.

The atmosphere should be electric, given that a sell- eschewal crowd is anticipated to pack the massive Narendra Modi Stadium then.

For New Zealand leader Lockie Ferguson, who turned out for Gujarat elephants in the IPL last time, this is a return to familiar home.

“Indian crowds are unmatched. Their love for the game stands out. Indeed when we get a gate off a good ball, they crack. It’s the same when we hit a six or four, ” Ferguson said in a press conference then on Tuesday.

“For some of our youthful guys like Ben Lister, to come to the biggest ground in the world is a special feeling. It’s veritably instigative, ” Ferguson said.

It remains to be seen if the pitch is in line with what the Indian platoon favours. Captain Hardik Pandya was unhappy with the shells used in the first two T20Is, where batters plodded to find meter.

“This is a beautiful colosseum, with an amazing crowd. It’ll be an instigative game hereafter, ” Suryakumar said.

Suryakumar didn’t find any fault in the spin-friendly pitches used in the first two T20Is. This was in discrepancy to captain Hardik Pandya describing the Lucknow face as a “ stunner ”.

“Red soil, black soil it doesn’t count what soil you play on. This isn’t in your control. We did what we could and acclimated to the situation in the last match. It was low- scoring, but it was an instigative game. Any game, be it T20 or 50- over, if there’s competition between the brigades, it’ll be instigative. The gate doesn’t count a lot. We must accept the challenge and move on, ” Suryakumar, who made a match- winning unbeaten 31- ball 26 at Lucknow, said.

The Mumbai batter has been named in the team for the first two Tests against Australia. It’s a chance for Suryakumar to restate his white- ball success to the longest format. “ Obviously everyone wants to play Test justice. When you start your domestic career, you start with red ball justice. It’ll be instigative. But at the same time, I ’m riveted on hereafter’s game, ” Suryakumar said.

Recent figures from the Narendra Modi Stadium don’t paint an encouraging picture for batters. The IPL final, held then in May last time, produced a low- scoring affair. It was an each-round performance from Hardik, apropos, which helped Gujarat elephants edge out Rajasthan Royals.

The last transnational match played at the venue, an ODI where India defended 265 to win by 96 runs, was no run fest either.

The home platoon will be concerned about the form of its top- order batters Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi. Gill has been unfit to replicate the tremendous touch he showed in the antedating ODIs. Kishan and Tripathi have looked uncompelling, and have wasted chances to make a mark.

Still, Mumbai nature Prithvi Shaw could get a look in, If a change in the eleven is warranted.

The Indian platoon, which won the ICC Women’s Under- 19 Cricket World Cup in South Africa a many days agone, will be fete then before the launch of the match.

Former India captain Sachin Tendulkar and BCCI office- liaisons will compliment the platoon members, BCCI Secretary Jay Shah stated on Twitter. Know More Cricket News…

The Squads:

India: Hardik Pandya (Captain), Suryakumar Yadav (vice-captain), Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, Deepak Hooda, Rahul Tripathi, Jitesh Sharma, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik, Shivam Mavi, and Prithvi Shaw.

New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (Captain), Finn Allen, Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Dane Cleaver, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Lister, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Rippon, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, and Blair Tickner.

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