India Bowls First in Third T20I Against New Zealand; Bumrah Returns
In the third T20I against New Zealand, India won the toss and opted to bowl first. This match took place in Guwahati, where captain Suryakumar Yadav made the strategic decision considering the expected dew effect on the gameplay. India aimed to secure the series after winning the first two matches, which would mark their 11th consecutive series or tournament win.
India’s Team Changes
To bolster their lineup, India made two significant changes. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi returned to the squad. They replaced Varun Chakravarthy and Arshdeep Singh, who were given rest. Axar Patel remained sidelined due to an injury he sustained in the first T20I.
New Zealand’s Lineup Modifications
New Zealand also adjusted their team, introducing Kyle Jamieson in place of Zak Foulkes. Foulkes had a challenging previous outing, conceding 67 runs in three overs. Although they wished to include James Neesham, he missed the match due to illness.
Previous Match Insights
Guwahati has witnessed some high-scoring T20I matches recently. The last two T20Is held there featured runs of 237 versus 221 four years ago, and 222 against 225 earlier in 2023. This trend suggests that the pitch would likely support high scores again.
Team Rosters
| New Zealand | India |
|---|---|
| 1. Tim Seifert (wk) | 1. Abhishek Sharma |
| 2. Devon Conway | 2. Sanju Samson (wk) |
| 3. Rachin Ravindra | 3. Ishan Kishan |
| 4. Glenn Phillips | 4. Suryakumar Yadav (capt) |
| 5. Daryl Mitchell | 5. Rinku Singh |
| 6. Mark Chapman | 6. Hardik Pandya |
| 7. Mitchell Santner (capt) | 7. Shivam Dube |
| 8. Kyle Jamieson | 8. Harshit Rana |
| 9. Matt Henry | 9. Kuldeep Yadav |
| 10. Jacob Duffy | 10. Jasprit Bumrah |
| 11. Ish Sodhi | 11. Ravi Bishnoi |
As the match unfolded, the outcome would not only determine the series victor but also set the stage for future T20I engagements. Fans eagerly anticipated the performance of Bumrah, making his return to international play.
