India vs New Zealand Match 3: India Will Be Eyeing Their Second Successive Clean Sweep

• India will be eyeing their second successive clean sweep while New Zealand look to pull one back. 

• India have now won seven successive ODI series at home and their last ODI series defeat came against Australia in March 2019.

• India have lost just one international match in Indore, which was a T20I against South Africa in October 2022. They have won two Test matches, five ODIs, and two T20Is at this venue.

India vs New Zealand Odds

India vs New Zealand Prediction and Pick

India will be big favorites to wrap up the series 3-0. Their bowling has been top-notch while the batting has been excellent as well. New Zealand haven't been consistent enough in all the departments and they face an uphill task against an in-form Indian team.

Predicted XI 

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav/Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami/Mohammed Siraj, Umran Malik

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Mark Chapman/Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (c & wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy/Henry Shipley, Lockie Ferguson, Blair Tickner

India Aim for Second Successive Clean Sweep

If the first game was a nail-biter, the second one was a clinical and emphatic win for India. They bowled New Zealand out for a mere 108 and chased it down without too much fuss. It has been India’s bowling, especially in the powerplay that has been setting up the game in this home season. Mohammed Siraj has been magnificent and he has been India’s go-to bowler in ODI cricket over the last 12 months or so. Mohammed Shami has bowled decently too while the likes of Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur have chipped in nicely in the middle overs. The latter two have been taken for runs as well but the entire bowling unit has fired well with Kuldeep Yadav picking wickets in the middle.

As far as India’s batting is concerned, Shubman Gill has been the standout at the top of the order. He has been supremely consistent. Rohit Sharma has been getting quick starts as well. Virat Kohli has got a couple of low scores in this series and Mitchell Santner has got him out both times. He will want to get some runs under his belt to finish the series. The likes of Suryakumar Yadav and Ishan Kishan will want more time in the middle in order to strengthen their positions in the ODI setup. 

For New Zealand, their top order has not fired. Finn Allen looked good in the first game but the likes of Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, and Tom Latham just haven't come to the party. Daryl Mitchell’s form could be a cause of concern as he didn’t have a great run in Pakistan either. Michael Bracewell’s lower-order hitting has been one of the big positives for the Kiwis in this series. 

His bowling has been good too along with Mitchell Santner who has been the pick of the New Zealand bowlers. Their fast bowlers have been inconsistent. Lockie Ferguson has not been able to make a significant impact and the inexperience of the other bowlers did not help either.

Team News

India might look to rotate their players as the series has already been won. Umran Malik might get a game and either of Shami or Siraj may be rested. Yuzvendra Chahal could come in for Kuldeep Yadav. It’ll also be interesting to see if Hardik Pandya is rested and either Srikar Bharat or Rajat Patidar make their debut.

New Zealand may make a couple of changes as well. Jacob Duffy could get a game and he may replace Henry Shipley. Mark Chapman might come in for Henry Nicholls. 

Key Players 

Shubman Gill is in magnificent form in ODI cricket. 70, 21, 116, 208, and 40 not out (latest) are his last five scores in the 50-over format. In fact, the 23-year-old had racked up 638 runs at an average of 70.88 and a strike rate of 102.57 in ODIs in 2022.

Mitchell Santner has been one of the top performers for New Zealand in this series. The left-arm spinning all-rounder has prized out Virat Kohli in both the ODIs and he has been New Zealand’s most economical bowler as well (5.92). In addition to this, he has batted quite well at No. 8. He has scores of 57 and 27 in the two matches so far.

How to Watch India vs New Zealand

What: India vs New Zealand, Match 3, ODI Series

Where: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore

When: January 24, 2023 / 1:30 PM IST 

How to watch: Star Sports / Disney+Hotstar (India), SKY Sport NZ (New Zealand), ESPN Player (United Kingdom), Fox Sports (Australia), SuperSport (South Africa), Willow TV (USA)