Thiruvananthapuram: The series is tied at 1-1 and with a match to go, everything is at stake as India take on New Zealand in the third and final T20I of the series at the Greenfield International Stadium, here on Tuesday.
While the locals are keenly waiting to see some of the biggest cricketing names live in action, the rain may play spoilsport and deny the crowds a chance to witness the likes of Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma, Trent Boult, Kane Williamson and others showcasing their skills at the venue which is also known as Trivandrum International Stadium.
The Indian team's performance has been one of contrast in the first two games.
They outplayed New Zealand in the first T20 International by 53 runs and then were crushed by 40 runs in the second game where Colin Munro took the bowling apart with a blistering hundred.
While batting - save Kohli's 65 off 42 balls was disappointing, the bowlers also did not cover themselves in glory with the fielders also having a below-par day.
Dropped catches hurt India's chances too while debutante Mohammed Siraj had a rough time. However, the good work by Jasprit Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar Kumar helped keep New Zealand below 200.
It remains to be seen if the team management gives Siraj another opportunity in a crucial game or opts for an extra batsman in his place.
Kohli admitted after the loss at Rajkot that the batsmen were not 'good enough' and stressed the need for all to chip in.
The visiting New Zealand side, which came into the T20 series as the No.1 ranked side, has since been displaced by Pakistan. The Kiwis, however, can regain the top spot by beating India in the final game.
Captain Kane Williamson was happy after the team turned things around after the loss in game one.
"I guess it was a contrasting performance from the last game. An improved performance on all sides, we need to keep doing this to beat India here and going on to the next game, we need to repeat this," Williamson said after the win in Rajkot.
The Kiwis have been competitive and lost the ODI series narrowly and proving to be difficult customers in the T20s too. While the batsmen have done well to counter the Indian bowlers, especially the spinners along with seamer Trent Boult have put their hand up when it matters the most.
Leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, who wasn't part of the original squad, has been a revelation and kept the India batsmen under check with his clever variations.
Boult rocked the host team's top-order in Rajkot, getting Rohit Sharma and Dhawan cheaply, which proved vital in the final analysis.
Newcomer Shreyas Iyer looked good during his knock of 23 but an indiscreet shot selection cost him his wicket.
All-rounder Hardik Pandya has gone off the boil since the back-end of the Australia series but the captain defended him. The hard-hitting Pandya won't mind a return to form in a high-stakes game on Tuesday.
Teams
India: Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Shikhar Dhawan, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Siraj, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, K.L. Rahul.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (capt), Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor.
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