India desperate to save the blushes of a clean sweep against upbeat New Zealand

India will be taking the yard again for the third Test as they prepare themselves to try and fend off a mighty Kiwi attack. With two Tests down, Rohit Sharma and company will be desperate to fight their way back and figure out a way to secure at least one win which will keep their chances of making it to the WTC final alive.

More importantly, the two losses have severely dented the chances of India taking some decent momentum Down Under where they will be up against the might of Australia. A victory in the last game will instil their winning faith back and will also pave the path for Sharma and company to try and keep the Aussie challenge at bay.

New Zealand have been in dream touch and their fightback after an unfortunate slump against Sri Lanka will be a massive moment for them going forward. Even though the gates of the WTC final looks to be a bit far-fetched for them, there is still loads to play for. If they are able to secure a win in the third Test, then it might be just the right momentum that they will like to have ahead of them hosting England for a three-match Test series in November and December.

Venue Watch:

Wankhede has always been known for its spin-friendly surfaces and will possibly be producing somewhat of a similar pitch for the final Test of the series. As the days progress, spinners will be making further merry with the cracks opening up and unfurling a box of uncertainties for the batters to brave.

Head to Head:

Matches played: 64

India: 22

New Zealand: 15

Match Details:

Match – India vs New Zealand, 3rd Test

Venue: Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai

Date: 1st November, 2024

Time: 9:30 AM

Squads:

India: Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, Sarfaraz Khan, Rishabh Pant (WK), Dhruv Jurel (WK), Ravichandran Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar

New Zealand: Tom Latham (capt), Tom Blundell (wk), Michael Bracewell (1st Test only), Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Matt Henry, Daryl Mitchell, Will O'Rourke, Ajaz Patel, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Ben Sears, Ish Sodhi (2nd and 3rd Test only), Tim Southee, Kane Williamson, Will Young