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CLAIM NOWToss Winner - New Zealand won the toss and choose to bat first
New Zealand beat India by 25 runs
For India to confirm a spot in the World Test Championship (WTC) final, they need to win at least four of their remaining six Tests, including the next one in Mumbai against New Zealand.
We are backing India to win the final Test.
Tournament: | New Zealand tour of India, 2024 |
Format: | test |
Venue: | Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai City, India |
Toss Prediction: | To Bat |
Weather: | 30.7°C|Sunny |
New Zealand have created history after beating India in a Test series at home – a feat no other team could achieve for 12 long years. They now lead the series 2-0 with one match to go. The third Test begins at the Wankhede in Mumbai from November 1 and there is a lot to play for both teams. A wounded India wouldn’t just be looking to save face but also keeping an eye on the World Test Championship (WTC) final scenarios. They need to win four of their next six Tests to guarantee a shot of playing the final. This means they must win the next Test to keep themselves in the hunt before their big Test tour to Australia. New Zealand, meanwhile, will be eyeing a historic 3-0 clean sweep.
Team India have a lot to ponder as they get ready for the final Test of the series in Mumbai. They have been thoroughly dominated in the first two Tests by a clinical New Zealand and need to get their act together fast.
The main issue is that the top and middle-order simply haven’t turned up. Yashasvi Jaiswal (155 runs in 4 innings at 38.75) has looked the most fluent, but India have been sorely done in by the poor returns of their two star batters - Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. The two experienced batters have managed 88 and 62 runs from 4 innings each, and have been unable to steady the ship whenever there has been a batting collapse.
Shubman Gill too failed in the previous Test, but we do expect him to be back among the runs on a better wicket at the Wankhede.
Rishabh Pant has looked fluent, but he tends to find ways to get dismissed in weird ways. Sarfaraz Khan is another one we are backing to have a good Test. He is a Mumbai boy has scored truckloads of runs on this surface.
India’s bowling hasn’t been up to the mark either. Their spin stalwarts – Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja – have looked ineffective. Having said that, Ashwin has a stellar record at the Wankhede – 38 wickets in 5 Tests at an average of 18.42, with three five-wicket hauls.
Washington Sundar took 11 wickets in the previous match and will certainly be India’s X-Factor.
The home side might look to rest Jasprit Bumrah and bring Mohammed Siraj in his place.
Key Players: Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravichandran Ashwin, Sarfaraz Khan
Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk)/ Dhruv Jurel, Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Jasprit Bumrah/ Mohammed Siraj
Rohit Sharma, Sarfaraz Khan, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant, Shubman Gill, Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Washington Sundar
New Zealand have punched above their weight and have scripted a historic Test series win against India. They have been thorough in both the Tests and are looking good for making it 3-0.
This has been a thorough team performance, with many heroes putting their hands up at crucial moments. In the previous Test, it was Mitchell Santner who took 13 wickets to destroy India’s batting unit on a spin-friendly surface. Ajaz Patel and Glenn Phillips have provided him solid , while Tim Southee and William O’Rourke have been on point.
On the batting front, Rachin Ravindra has been an absolute superstar with 247 runs across 4 innings at an average of 82.33.
Captain Tom Latham led from the front in the second innings of the previous match with a superb 86 on a tough surface.
The likes of Devon Conway, Will Young, Tom Blundell, and Glenn Phillips might not have good big scores, but they have shown the gumption to fight and chip in with valuable contributions. This has meant New Zealand are not giving away easy wickets and are always putting up above-par scores. With regular skipper Kane Willamson unavailable for the third Test as well, this batting unit will look to stand up one final time this series.
Key Players: Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Devon Conway
Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ajaz Patel, William O’Rourke
Tom Latham, Tom Blundell, Devon Conway, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Matt Henry, William O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Ish Sodhi
The pitch at the Wankhede Stadium is a balanced track with for batters and bowlers alike. It will likely be great for batting on the first two days with some assistance for fast bowlers, particularly in the morning session. There will be help for spinners, but it remains to be seen whether they prepare a rank turner. We reckon it should start turning more as the game progresses, but batters too will have a good time here. The pitch usually facilitates good bounce for the spinners and the fast bowlers.
The weather in Mumbai for the five days of the Test is expected to be sunny, warm, and clear, with periods of light winds. It should be pleasant in the morning session.
Pitch Condition
BattingBatting Conditions
High ScoringPace Bowling
Pace BounceSpin Bowling
Average TurnThe average score batting first at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai is 339. The highest total posted at the venue is India’s 631 versus England in 2016. This is unlikely to be a high-scoring Test, and the team batting first will look to set a score of around 350-400 runs. Batting in the first innings has been good here over the last six Tests, with 400-plus scores achieved five times in these matches.
Both teams will be looking to bat first to put on a big score in the first innings and get ahead in the Test.
Even though New Zealand have already won the series, there is still a lot to play for. They will be eager to make it 3-0, while the home side will be desperate to one win to save face and improve their WTC chances. The last time these two teams met at the Wankhede, India shot New Zealand out for 62 and secured an emphatic 372-run win. However, this is a different Kiwi side that’s riding high on confidence. They will come hard at India again and won’t make things easy. India, meanwhile, will be hurting. They will surely be down on confidence and might not be able to recover from this setback. However, we reckon this team has it in it to pull themselves up and fight back. They are the home side and have a great record at this venue. We expect India to play better than they have in this series and win the final match.
We are backing India to win the final Test.
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