Kamal Ghorui
The batting blitz unleashed by Abhishek Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan, which has powered India to a 3-0 lead, has so far papered over the below-par returns from frontline spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Varun Chakravarthy.
Kuldeep has managed two wickets in as many matches but has been far from his elusive best, leaking runs at 9.5 an over. The left-arm wrist spinner endured three costly overs that went for 32 runs even as India restricted the Kiwis to 153 for nine, helped by excellent spells from Jasprit Bumrah, Ravi Bishnoi and Hardik Pandya. His struggles mirror the preceding ODI series, where he claimed three wickets across three games at an economy of 7.28.
Chakravarthy, who sat out the third T20I, presents a slightly different case, having featured in two high-scoring contests in which New Zealand posted 190 and 208. However, the usual sharpness has been missing from his bowling, and the brief break may have helped him recharge.
In that backdrop, India could weigh up retaining Bishnoi, who returned figures of 4-0-18-2 in Guwahati, and bringing Chakravarthy back in place of Kuldeep to give the latter a breather. The hosts will also monitor Axar Patel’s fitness, with the all-rounder sidelined since the opening match in Nagpur due to a finger injury.
While the bowling combinations are still settling, India’s batting has been in devastating form. The revamped top order has transformed the side’s T20 approach, with the third match resembling an extended Power Play. Abhishek has struck at over 300, while Suryakumar and Kishan have hovered close to 230.
Such has been the ferocity of the batting that India have spent a combined 25.2 overs chasing 209 and 154 in the last two games. With the Visakhapatnam pitch and dew expected to aid run-scoring again, another high-scoring affair seems likely.
One concern, though, is Sanju Samson’s lean run despite opening the innings. His tally of 16 runs in three matches has made for a difficult series, though with Tilak Varma still unavailable, Samson is likely to get another opportunity, possibly at No. 3.
For New Zealand, little has clicked. While their batters have shown brief flashes, the bowlers have struggled to contain India’s onslaught. Jacob Duffy, with an economy of 10.30, has been their most economical, with the rest enduring heavy punishment. Unless the visitors find quick answers, another tough outing could be on the cards.
Teams (from):
India: Suryakumar Yadav (capt), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel (vice-capt), Rinku Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ishan Kishan (wk), Ravi Bishnoi.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (c), Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Matt Henry, Kyle Jamieson, Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Tim Seifert.
