An unassailable lead has opened up the window for experimentation but there will be no let-up in India’s intensity when it faces New Zealand in the fourth T20 International in Wellington on Friday.
Both teams spent Thursday travelling from Hamilton to Wellington, and with a similar tight schedule for the final game of the series as well, there seems to be little chance of nets for either match.
India skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri pride themselves on a win-at-all-times mentality, and have the chance to go for a 5-0 sweep.
Waiting in the wings
However, if experimentation kicks in, Sanju Samson and Rishabh Pant are waiting for opportunities. Pant’s call-up would depend on which batsman is left out, and whether K.L. Rahul will continue to keep wickets.
While the top trio is assured of places, Shreyas Iyer has been in superb touch, but Manish Pandey and Shivam Dube need more game time as well.
Any of the top four may be rested over the next two games. It could even be Kohli and Rohit Sharma alternating in Wellington and Mt. Maunganui.
More changes may be expected in the bowling department. Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav and Navdeep Saini are waiting in the wings. All three may not get a look-in immediately. Rest assured though, the team management is sure to rotate a spinner and pacer each.
Washington is part of Kohli’s new-ball strategy on the big Australian grounds, so he can expect a run over the next two games. Saini could replace Shardul Thakur, especially if Washington adds his batting depth to the lower order.
The final question would be over Jasprit Bumrah’s inclusion. While he had an off night in Hamilton, there ought to be thoughts about his workload. He is part of both the ODI and Test squads, and is a shoo-in for the T20 World Cup as well.
For New Zealand, there is a straightforward change coming up. Colin de Grandhomme is no longer with the squad, giving up his spot for batsman Tom Bruce. This could be an easy swap for the hosts given that they have been light in the middle-order in the past three matches.
Captain’s spot
There is also a school of thought that Kane Williamson should move up top. Given his batting master class in Hamilton, there is potential for him to open the innings with Martin Guptill with Colin Munro sliding down.
Mitchell Santner was promoted on Wednesday night to add more momentum to the innings, and it remains to be seen if it was a one-off ploy or something the Black Caps could consider experimenting with.
The teams (from): India: Virat Kohli (Capt.), Rohit Sharma, K.L. Rahul (wk), Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah, Shardul Thakur, Navdeep Saini and Washington Sundar.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (Capt.), Martin Guptill, Ross Taylor, Scott Kuggeleijn, Colin Munro, Tom Bruce, Daryl Mitchell, Mitchell Santner, Tim Seifert (wk), Hamish Bennett, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee and Blair Tickner.
Umpires: Chris Brown, Shaun Haig; TV umpire: Ashley Mehrotra; Fourth umpire: Garth Stirrat; Match referee: Chris Broad.
Match starts at 12.30 p.m. IST.
