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New Zealand vs India 2020 5th T20I Preview: Devastated Kiwis Look for Inspiration in Final Game
- Updated: January 31, 2020
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New Zealand lost two back to back T20Is against India from potentially winning positions after it went down to the Super Over. So far winless in the series, the Kiwis are looking for some inspiration as they prepare for the final T20I at Mount Maunganui. Needing seven runs to win in the final over, the Kiwis yet again managed to take the game to the Super Over to end up on the losing side of it once again. This was their seventh loss in as many Super Overs. The New Zealand vs India 5th T20I presents a big challenge to the Kiwis not be whitewashed in the series and look for a morale boosting win.
The Kiwis missed their skipper Kane Williamson in this game after he injured his shoulder in the third game, to be ruled out in the fourth T20I. He is expected to return in the final game and perhaps will be the source of inspiration that the Kiwis badly need to register a win in the final game. Twice in successive games has the Kieis lost the match by 2 runs. There is some rethinking to be done in terms of finishing games off in the 20 overs itself. While Williamson and Ross Taylor, their two most senior players did not capitalize on the opportunity in the fourth game, Tim Seifert was the set batsman alongside Taylor who missed out on the opportunity to help their team win the game. So potentially Kiwis lost the opportunity to be 2-2 in the series and are now 4-0 down. They have done everything possible to win the last two games but just couldn’t finish it off.
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The Kiwis will look to field the same XI with only Williamson making a return in place of Daryl Mitchell. They would ideally like the same team to finish off with a win before the three-match ODI series starts from February 05.
For the Indian team led by Virat Kohli, this series has to be one of the best they have played in recent times. All the matches so far have been exciting with the team made to work hard to win the games. The performance of the bowlers especially in the last two games have been excellent. The team has risen up the ranks and has learned to fight till the very last ball. Mohammad Shami and Shardul Thakur has displayed great skill in the death overs, an art that the Indian bowlers has mastered off late.
Indian skipper Virat Kohi also lauded the team for the way they came back in the last two matches. ” There’s something new that I’ve learnt, that you’ve just got to stay calm in the game, observe what’s happening and if the opportunity comes then you capitalize on it. The fans couldn’t have asked for a better finish in two consecutive games. We hadn’t played super-over before, and now we have played two back to back. It feels good when you’re out of the game and get yourself back in, it really shows the character of the team”, said Kohli after the fourth T20I. Fielding lapses and drop catches have hurt India in the last two matches and that is what they would like to sort out heading into the New Zealand vs India 2020 5th T20I.
The bowling and the batting looks in good order now with the middle-order also being tested. Manish Pandey stepped upto the plate for his team scoring a defining 50 and so did Shardul Thakur scoring a crucial 20 adding 43 with Pandey for the seventh wicket.
Also Read: New Zealand vs India 4th T20I Preview
The venue for the New Zealand vs India 5th T20I is Mount Maunganui. The pitch is perfect for batting with pace on the wicket. Seven matches have been won by the team batting first, which also means that dew is a factor in the ground.
Squads for New Zealand vs India 2020 5th T20I
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Tim Seifert(w), Ross Taylor, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Hamish Bennett, Blair Tickner, Tom Bruce
India: Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant(w), Washington Sundar, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Jasprit Bumrah, Yuzvendra Chahal, Sanju Samson, Mohammed Shami, Navdeep Saini, Kuldeep Yadav, Shivam Dube
This is the Dream Xi Predicted team for the New Zealand vs India 2020 5th T20I.
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