Team India will be looking to seal yet another series when they meet New Zealand in the 3rd and the final ODI at the Green Park in Kanpur on Sunday. It was a tricky situation for the hosts when they had to win the 2nd ODI to keep the series alive, and they did it in style by winning the 2nd ODI by six wickets and with four overs to spare to level the series 1-1. It was a great all-round display by the Men in Blue who will look to continue their dominance in the final ODI.
Both teams have some big names in their squads and are unlikely to make any change in their XI. Left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav who was left out for the 2nd ODI might make a return in place of Axar Patel who went for some runs in the 2nd ODI. Kuldeep was hammered in the opening encounter, but given his wicket-taking abilities, he might be brought back for the decisive encounter.
Now, let us have a look at the Predicted XI of India for the 3rd ODI:
Rohit Sharma
Rohit hasn’t made any contributions in the first two ODI’s, but given his prowess in limited overs cricket, a big score is just around the corner. He has been a phenomenal ODI batsman and ever since being promoted as an opener in 2013, Rohit’s career has been on the rise, and he never had to look back. He is the only cricketer in the history of ODI cricket to score two double centuries.
Shikhar Dhawan
The southpaw played a sensible knock of 68 in the previous encounter which ensured India won the do or die clash in Pune. The southpaw has been in terrific knick ever since making a return for the ICC Champions Trophy and has been scoring runs at will. He will look to continue his good run in the decisive ODI and get the hosts off to a brilliant start.
Now, what adjective do I give for this phenomenal limited-overs batsman? His record is just a sheer proof of what he has done in this format over the past few years. In the opening ODI, the skipper scored a magnificent 121 off 124 deliveries to notch up his 31st ODI century, but it wasn’t enough to help India win the game. He looked in good touch even in the 2nd ODI, but on 29 he was caught behind of the bowling of Colin de Grandhomme.
Dinesh Karthik
The problem of the middle order was haunting India, but in Dinesh Karthik, they might have found an able replacement for Manish Pandey who might become India’s trump card for the 2019 World Cup. Though it is too early to take a call, the team management must be optimistic with Karthik especially after his two useful knocks in the ODI series. While he made 37 in Mumbai, Karthik remained unbeaten on 64 to help India win the match by six wickets.
Kedar Jadhav
The “Pocket Sized Dynamo” has been impressive in patches but has failed to convert his starts into big ones. He has all the shots in the book, but his consistency has been an issue which he would look to work on. He might be given a more extended run, but given the bench strength, he has to pull up his socks and has to start performing on a consistent basis.
MS Dhoni
The former skipper has been a sensational limited overs batsman over the years, and even in the twilight of his career, he has continued to impress with the bat. With age, his striking abilities has diminished to a certain extent, but he is still one of the biggest match winners the team has. He is a street-smart wicket-keeper and has the record for most stumpings in ODI cricket. He is a huge helping hand for Kohli, and on occasions when the former is the deep, Dhoni is seen handling the troops.
Hardik Pandya
Pandya has arguably been the most prominent name who has emerged in the last year or so. Making his ODI debut a year ago against New Zealand, Pandya has gone on to establish himself as an asset to the limited overs team. He has an exceptional ability to hit the big shots on a consistent basis and is also an able fast bowler. He can consistently clock 140 km/hr and lends the ideal balance to the team. He is a future superstar in the making, and if his workload can be managed well, he could well go on to become one of the greats of the game.
Bhuvneshwar Kumar
This bowler has improved by leaps and bounds as far as limited overs cricket is concerned, and along with Bumrah, he has gone on to become one of the best bowling pairs in ODI cricket. Even in the previous ODI, Bhuvi was the stand out bowler for India. He rattled the New Zealand top order and then came back to bag one more to finish with impressive figures of 3/45 in his ten overs. Even in the batting department, Bhuvi has improved significantly and scored a quickfire 26 of 14 deliveries in the 1st ODI to get India to a score of 280.
Kuldeep Yadav
The chinaman bowler is one of a kind. Though at times he tends to leak runs, he is a wicket-taking bowler who can be a huge asset for Kohli in the coming years. He got a bit of stick in the opening clash and was dropped from the 2nd ODI in favour of Axar Patel, but the team management will be tempted to play him in the decisive encounter on Sunday. He is also a decent batsman down the order.
Jasprit Bumrah
The lanky speedster has been a standout performer for India as far as limited overs cricket is concerned, and his Yorkers and slower deliveries have been very difficult for any batsman to pick. He tends to leak runs in the powerplay overs occasionally, but his wicket-taking abilities and his uncanny actions set him apart from the rest. He will look to come good for the must-win encounter for both teams.
Yuzvendra Chahal
Chahal after a relatively off day in Mumbai bowled superbly in the 2nd ODI at Pune. He bagged a couple of crucial wickets in the middle overs and ended his spell with impressive figures of 2/36 in 8 overs. Along with Kuldeep, the duo has been impressive in their limited opportunities and will look to continue their good work.