IND vs NZ 2022-23, Napier T20I: Harshal replaces Sundar as Kiwis opt to bat; rain delays start
IND vs NZ 2022-23: India and New Zealand face off in the final T20I in Napier on Tuesday. Meanwhile, as the hosts have opted to bat, the visitors have made a change, with Harshal Patel replacing Washington Sundar.
FollowWith the series still on the line, India and New Zealand are locking horns in the third and final Twenty20 International (T20I) at Mclean Park in Napier on Tuesday. After the opening match in Wellington was washed out, the second game in Mount Maunganui saw the Men in Blue get the upper hand with a stellar 65-run success, thus earning a 1-0 lead in the series. While the Kiwis can still level the series with a conquest here, the visitors would be desperate to play to their full potential and win the series 2-0. While the hosts have won the coin toss and decided to bat, India has made a change by bringing in pacer Harshal Patel for all-rounder Washington Sundar.
Rain has delayed the start of the contest for now, with the pitch under the cover. Also, the weather forecast predicts a 90% chance of precipitation throughout the day. Meanwhile, pacer Tim Southee is leading New Zealand, as regular skipper, Kane Williamson misses out due to a pre-arranged medical appointment.
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After winning the toss, Southee communicated, "We will bat. It looks like a pitch where we can put the runs on the board. We can't control the weather, but the history of this ground suggests good batting conditions. Our bowling the other night wasn't the best, but credit to SKY [Suryakumar Yadav]. Mark Chapman comes in straight away. You look back at places where we can improve as a team."
In the meantime, Indian captain Hardik Pandya worded, "We wanted to bowl first anyway, so we got what we wanted. The pitch will remain the same for the entire 40 overs, but with the grass on it, there could be some lateral movement for our pacers. We keep the dimensions in mind, but we have the skill set in our bowling line-up. We can't overthink the conditions - One change, Harshal comes in place of Washington Sundar."
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Playing XI
IND: Ishan Kishan (wk), Rishabh Pant (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya (c), Deepak Hooda, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Harshal Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj and Yuzvendra Chahal.
NZ: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips (wk), Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee (c) and Lockie Ferguson.
