Big picture – Last hurdle before World Cup
All this lends this five-match series plenty of spice even before you throw in the fact that it’s the last series for both teams before the T20 World Cup.
But they haven’t faced New Zealand, their bogey team across formats, for three years in T20Is. And New Zealand invariably have something up their sleeve when they face India. What will it be this time?
Form guide
India WWLWW (last five completed T20Is, most recent first)
New Zealand WWWLL
In the spotlight – Axar Patel and Tim Robinson
New Zealand outspun India in the ODI series, and New Zealand’s batters outperformed India’s batters by disrupting the spinners. In both those contexts, Axar Patel, who returns after being rested for the ODIs, could be a crucial player for India: a tall, quick, stump-seeking spinner who can be hard to sweep, and a vital member of their middle order as someone who specialises in going after spin.
Team news
India captain Suryakumar Yadav has confirmed that Ishan Kishan, and not Shreyas Iyer, will take the place of the injured Tilak Varma. That leaves the question of who slots in at No. 8 between batting allrounder Shivam Dube and bowling allrounder Harshit Rana. If Nagpur provides a dry, grippy pitch such as the one these two teams played their T20 World Cup match on in 2016, India might think of playing both their wristspinners.
India (probable): 1 Abhishek Sharma, 2 Sanju Samson (wk), 3 Suryakumar Yadav (capt), 4 Ishan Kishan, 5 Hardik Pandya, 6 Axar Patel, 7 Rinku Singh, 8 Harshit Rana/Shivam Dube, 9 Arshdeep Singh/Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Jasprit Bumrah, 11 Varun Chakravarthy
New Zealand (probable): 1 Tim Robinson, 2 Devon Conway (wk), 3 Rachin Ravindra, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Mark Chapman, 7 James Neesham, 8 Mitchell Santner (capt), 9 Matt Henry, 10 Ish Sodhi, 11 Jacob Duffy
Pitch and conditions
The weather on Wednesday is expected to be pleasant and dry, with evening temperatures in the low 20s (Celsius).
Stats and trivia
Quotes
“The T20 series is going to begin, so let’s talk about it. We’ve been playing this format well. There will be pressure in every game. Where’s the fun in playing if there’s no pressure? Responsibility comes with pressure, and when those two things combine when we get into the ground, there’s a different energy, a good feeling, especially when there’s a crowd, and that motivates us. I’m sure it will be a very good series.”
India captain Suryakumar Yadav on whether New Zealand’s recent Test and ODI series wins in India have put his players under extra pressure
“Personally I hope it’s similar to what it was ten years ago, but I can’t imagine it is. It was great memories, it was my first trip to India. Not really knowing what to expect, but turning up, playing in front of 50,000, World Cup, it was awesome, and it’s been the same every time I’ve come back. Everyone loves touring here, the fans are amazing. Every time you get to play in front of a massive crowd – it’s why we play, I guess. But I’d imagine the pitch would be pretty good going into tomorrow.”
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner on his memories of the 2016 T20 World Cup game against India in Nagpur, and whether he expects conditions to be as spin-friendly this time
Karthik Krishnaswamy is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
