Hamilton [New Zealand], November 1 (ANI): New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl first in the fifth and final T20I against India at Seddon Park, Hamilton, on Sunday.
The series is already in India's pocket, as they hold a 3-1 lead. After a run of three unbeaten games, India suffered an 87-run loss at Eden Park while chasing a massive total of 260 runs. For the Kiwis, this will be their chance to end this extremely competitive series on a high. For the Men in Blue, it will be another occasion where they will get to show why they are the reigning world champions in T20Is.
During the toss, NZ skipper Mitchell Santner said, "I just assumed I was going to lose the toss. We will have a bowl. Yeah, I think obviously a new pitch - looks all right. Usually plays pretty good here. Might be a little bit of dew later on, I think. [On the challenge of playing at Seddon Park's relatively small dimensions] Yeah, I mean it is a challenge obviously, the small grounds in New Zealand. You have to adapt quickly. You've got to be, I guess, smart with the way you operate. I guess the dimensions change kind of, you know, around the country. So traditionally here, they might, you know, if there is a little bit of bounce like at Eden Park, it would be quite nice."
"I guess the plans are similar. And if the pitch is flat, we are going to have to adapt. [On New Zealand's comeback in the series and their plans for the final T20I] Yeah, I think obviously with the bat we've been good this whole series. And then with the ball, we just adjusted our plans a little bit. There was obviously a little bit more on the wicket the other night, which was nice for the seamers. So I guess if it is something similar again, it usually can get a bit of bounce here at Seddon Park, so hopefully. [On the team changes] We got one change. Blair Tickner's back and Matt Fisher misses out," he added.
During the toss, Indian skipper Shreyas Iyer announced that spinner Varun Chakravarthy and Bhuvneshwar Kumar would bat, with Axar Patel sitting out.
"It is a great occasion to come here, especially in this historical ground. And we were looking to bat as well. Absolutely, we wanted to test ourselves batting first, you know, all four games we chased. So want to have a feel of how the wicket will play in the first innings. [On India's plans after the defeat in Auckland] In Auckland, the dimensions were different. Bowlers had a little bit of different plans against certain batsmen. But also credit where it is due. Glenn Phillips played an exceptional knock. But it is important that we go by instincts and see to it that we bowl according to the plan and also what the wicket requires," he said.
"We have got two changes. Varun comes in, and Bhuvi comes in. He (Varun) has been waiting for his opportunity, and today I feel that even in the huddle, he gave us a beautiful speech. So he is pumped up, and he is looking forward to this contest," he signed off.
New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner(c), Nathan Smith, Adam Milne, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner
India (Playing XI): Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan(w), Shreyas Iyer(c), Tilak Varma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Arshdeep Singh, Prince Yadav, Varun Chakaravarthy. (ANI)
NZ vs IND, 5th T20I: New Zealand elect to bowl first; Varun, Bhuvneshwar in India XI
