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Team India will lock horns with New Zealand in the third and final game of their T20I series at McLean Park in Napier on Tuesday, November 22.
The Men in Blue registered a clinical 65-run victory in the second T20I and certainly cannot lose the series now. However, the Kiwis will want to even things up and take some momentum with them into the ODIs.
Kane Williamson and his men will need to win certain match-ups if they want to overcome the Indian team. The hosts looked flat at times in the second game and had no answer to Suryakumar Yadav's pyrotechnics.
As New Zealand look for an improved display in Napier, let's take a look at three match-ups that could decide the course of the game:
#3 Suryakumar Yadav vs Mitchell Santner
Mitchell Santner has made quite a reputation for himself as one of the best left-arm spinners in the T20 format currently because of the tight lines that he bowls. With left-arm spin being a rare weakness for Suryakumar Yadav, this battle was certainly one to watch out for in the last game.
However, Yadav absolutely dominated Santner with his inside-out shots and made the bowler alter his line and length almost immediately. He didn't let the Kiwi settle into a rhythm and attacked the short boundary on a regular basis.
Santner will definitely need to come back stronger if he wants to get the better of the No. 1 ranked T20I batter in the world. He has dismissed Yadav once previously in T20Is and will back himself to come up with an alternate plan of attack.
#2 Finn Allen vs Bhuvneshwar Kumar
Finn Allen burst onto the scene at the T20 World Cup with his quickfire half-century against hosts Australia. However, he has been a bit inconsistent of late, especially against the moving ball.
This led to his downfall in the first game as he couldn't handle the swing of Bhuvneshwar Kumar and was caught at third man. Allen wants to impose himself on the opposition in the powerplay and this is exactly where India's new-ball bowlers will sense an opportunity to pick his wicket.
It will be interesting to see how the young opener applies himself in the third T20I, as his team is dependent on him to get them off to a flying start.
#1 Rishabh Pant vs Lockie Ferguson
All eyes will be on how Rishabh Pant performs as an opener in the third T20I. The Indian vice-captain for the series was dismissed for just six off 13 balls last time around. He simply couldn't get to grips with the pace and bounce generated by Lockie Ferguson.
Pant has faced 36 balls from Ferguson in T20 cricket overall and has managed to score just 37 runs, being dismissed thrice. This is a match-up the speedster would want to take advantage of and make life even more difficult for Pant, who is struggling to cement his place in India's T20I team.
