India has taken an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the five-match series and every match is going to be a must-win for the New Zealand side. The visitors have played at the top of their game and their bowling was right on the money in the second game. The tourists had restricted the hosts to a paltry score of 132 runs and they had done a fine job.
Ravindra Jadeja was brilliant with the ball as he scalped two wickets and conceded only 18 runs in his quota of four overs. Furthermore, Mohammed Shami and Jasprit Bumrah handcuffed the Kiwis batsmen as they collectively gave away 43 runs in their eight overs. The New Zealand batsmen were not able to get going in the middle overs and they would need to get more runs on the board to challenge the Indian team.
India is in fine form.
On the other hand, KL Rahul continued his sublime form going as he scored an unbeaten knock of 57 runs to help the team chase down the target. Moreover, Shreyas Iyer played another crucial knock of 44 runs and added 86 runs with Rahul to get the job done.
In fact, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are yet to fire at all cylinders in the series and it is a great sign for the Indian team that they have done well without their top batsmen getting big runs.
Meanwhile, New Zealand will need to find a way to get back into the series. The Kiwis have been sloppy in the field and they will need to pull up their socks to make a comeback. It is going to be a do or die match for the hosts and they will need to check the right boxes.
Match Prediction:
India will begin the match as favorites after getting the momentum on their side. The visitors have done a fine job with both bat and ball and they would aim to continue their good form. Meanwhile, New Zealand will need to find some kind of inspiration to get themselves back on track.