The Greenfield International Stadium in Trivandrum, Kerala, will see the fifth T20I of the bilateral series between India and New Zealand on Saturday, January 31. After three consecutive losses, New Zealand came back to defeat India by 50 runs in the fourth match in Visakhapatnam (Vizag). Opener Devon Conway starred with a brilliant knock (44 of 23 balls) while taking on the new ball when the fielders were inside the circle, and he showed how big a difference he can make with his presence.
Most of New Zealand's batters like to play on the rise, and the flat surface in Trivandrum is expected to assist them in doing so. Tim Seifert, who scored 63 and Daryl Mitchell, who remained unbeaten on 39 in Vizag, are known for their ability to rotate the strike as well as pick up loose balls as and when delivered. Their bowlers, led by spinners Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, have dragged their lengths back whenever they have appeared on the verge of being punished by the Indian power hitters.
For India, experimentation will surely not be on the cards. A lot depends on how quickly Ishan Kishan gets fit and if he is available for selection. If he is, then he will occupy the number three slot. Several eyes will also be on wicketkeeper-opener Sanju Samson, who has not been able to get going ever since returning to the top of the order (10, 6, 0 and 24). This does not bode well for the Indians going into the T20 World Cup in February, and they will hope that Samson delivers big-time, especially as he will be playing on his home turf.
Predicted Teams
IND: Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Shivam Dube, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Arshdeep Singh, Ravi Bishnoi, Kuldeep Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah.
NZ: Devon Conway, Tim Seifert (w), Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Ish Sodhi.
Key Players
Rinku Singh (IND): Finisher Rinku Singh is among the best players India have found in the lower middle order. The southpaw can hit the ball a long way and seems to absorb pressure like a sponge. What's more, Singh can take any game deep and then try to hit his way out of pressure. Most times, these balls go out of the ground, and take a long time to fetch! Singh's positioning deep inside the crease gives him the long levers to execute his slogs over long on and long off.
Mitchell Santner (NZ): New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner offers the perfect all-round package thanks to his ability to bat as a finisher and then bowl left-arm orthodox spin. Santner is renowned for being a good fielder as well and has plenty of experience playing in Indian conditions. The southpaw is a strategist and does not leave too many things up to chance. Santner can vary his pace while bowling, and is very handy in the middle overs.
Match Prediction
We expect India to win this game comfortably. The Kiwis have just not been able to come to terms with India's superior strength in this series. Their win in the fourth game of the series will be seen as an aberration. The Indian batting lineup has consistently fired, and given the New Zealand bowlers no room for error at all. In contrast, the failure of the Kiwi batters to convert their starts into big scores - except in Vizag - has hurt them deeply. Even while bowling, India have appeared to be better than their opponents.