New Zealand’s Struggles in India: A History of Near Misses

New Zealand has made 16 visits to India for One Day International (ODI) matches, including participation in four World Cups and a Champions Trophy. Despite these opportunities, the Black Caps have never managed to claim a trophy on Indian soil. They have forced series deciders three times during their visits but were unsuccessful each time. For Blackcaps fans, these statistics are enough to cause a sense of dread, and now it’s the turn of Indian cricket supporters to recall the events of the 2024 season.

During that season, New Zealand came to India without having won a Test series, and they left with Gautam Gambhir’s first reality check as a coach and a 3-0 scoreline. Some might argue that the situation is similar now as both teams head to Indore for the final match of an entertaining series. Many had written off New Zealand from the start due to Kane Williamson’s absence and Mitchell Santner being rested for the ODIs.

The third ODI will be streamed live on the JioHotstar app and website, while the match will be telecast on the Star Sports network starting at 1:30 PM IST on Wednesday.

Strong Batting Performance from New Zealand

Despite having debutants in each of the first two games, New Zealand’s batting has stood out. Daryl Mitchell has been a consistent threat against India, and he finally secured a win for his efforts in Rajkot. Michael Bracewell’s smart captaincy and tight bowling have also contributed to India’s batting collapses in the first two games.

For India, the focus needs to be on improving their bowling, especially from the spinners. Ravindra Jadeja seems to be struggling, and Kuldeep Yadav conceded 82 runs in Rajkot, which has affected the team’s confidence. The batting has shown a reliance on the top three players, with KL Rahul often bailing them out of difficult situations. Shreyas Iyer and others will need to step up and make meaningful contributions.

While the attention is on the T20 World Cup 2026, India will be hoping to maintain their winning momentum and continue New Zealand’s long wait for a victory in India.

Indore Pitch and Weather Conditions

Indore is known for its poha and high-scoring matches. This is the same ground where Virender Sehwag scored 219 runs against the West Indies 14 years ago. In recent games, India has scored 399 and 385 runs, with the latter being against New Zealand three years ago. Given the small boundaries, the Holkar Stadium is expected to be a run-fest, provided the pitch doesn’t present any unusual challenges.

The weather forecast for Sunday indicates no rain, with daytime temperatures hovering in the upper 20s and overnight lows dropping to the low teens. Fans can expect a pleasant day of cricket.

Predicted Playing XIs

The biggest question on everyone’s mind is whether Arshdeep Singh will finally get a spot in the series. While the Indian pacers—Siraj, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna—have performed well, they struggled against Mitchell’s onslaught in the Rajkot ODI. Siraj admitted that the left-arm pacer can take wickets with the new ball.

“Arshdeep has bowled very well and taken wickets with the new ball. The captain and coach decide the roles, but as a bowler, if someone is taking wickets at the other end, my job is to build pressure and not give runs. I have full confidence in him,” Siraj said.

“Harshit (Rana) has also done well, taken a wicket upfront. It’s good for him that he is getting an opportunity ahead of the World Cup.”

Nitish Kumar Reddy was hardly used with the ball, getting only two overs, which puts his place under scrutiny. However, if India needs some batting cushion, they may consider Ayush Badoni for his off-spin and explosive batting.

This means either Arshdeep has to replace Prasidh or remain on the bench. For New Zealand, they may decide to bring back Aditya Ashok despite Jayden Lennox’s decent debut performance. Apart from that, they will stick with the side that won them the match in Rajkot.

India:

Shubman Gill (capt), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy/Ayush Badoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Prasidh Krishna/Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand:

Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Hay (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (capt), Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Zak Foulkes, Adithya Ashok/Jayden Lennox.