New Zealand vs India 3rd ODI Prediction, Betting Tips and Match Preview

In the aftermath of the second match of the ongoing ODI series between visitors India and hosts New Zealand, three things are clear - that Ross Taylor is a beast even on the brink of 36, that the Kiwis might have found a great new quick in Kyle Jamieson, and that India’s 50-over team has a lot of room for improvement. A roller-coaster ride of a match that just failed to reach its final apex, the game left plenty of talking points for the keen and curious. Before the third game unveils on at the Bay Oval in Tauranga on 11th February, let’s take a look at the current situation.
 

Second match of the ODI series analysis

Plagued by injuries and disease, the New Zealand squad was missing a bevy of stalwarts and stars, with the likes of Santner, Boult, Henry, Williamson, all out with some problem or the other. Even on-field Tim Southee bowled his allotment of overs within the 25th while running a temperature - and beautifully so, dismissing dangerous Kohli and potent Jadhav at the cost of only 41 runs (with a maiden on top). It’s a mark of how short-staffed the Kiwis are right now that after using up all healthy substitutes, assistant coach and former Black Cap Luke Ronchi had to get down to field for the first time since his retirement in 2017. India were also without Sharma and had a few more newcomers on the team, but at least they had enough people to field 11 current players and then some. 
 
The match was a far-cry from the batting romp of the first game, with the bowlers taking precedence as previously predicted. New Zealand started very strong, with openers Nicholls and Guptill going on to 93 before the former’s legs were caught in front of the stumps by Chahal. They continued to look strong right up till 157-2, when the fall of Guptill triggered an avalanche which left them at 197-8. However, a resurgent stand by first match hero Ross Taylor and newcomer Kyle Jamieson (later man of the match due to an all-round brilliant performance) saw them build the score to a respectable 273 without losing another wicket. 
 
Strengthened by this comeback, the Kiwi bowlers hit the ground hard, taking regular wickets and not allowing partnerships to build up. Soon, the Men in Blue found themselves at a despondent 153-7, with Southee, de Grandhomme, Bennett, and Jamieson all picking up wickets for the home team. However, veteran Ravindra Jadeja and newcomer Navdeep Saini built up a solid partnership that may well have pushed the visitors over the line had it not been for debutant Jamieson bowling out Saini at 229, when things were looking dangerous. Hope remained till the third-last over, until a perhaps panicking Chahal was run out, with Jadeja himself falling in the next over.  
 

New Zealand vs India 3rd ODI Prediction and Betting Tips

Although the series is doomed, India will no doubt want to fight tooth and nail to win the last match for some damage control, as a whitewash would call for the kind of media skewering back home that is typically experienced by subcontinental teams. The Bay Oval is a ground that usually favors bowlers, so it might be wise to back them.
 
For New Zealand fans, A lot of eyes will be set on star debutant Kyle Jamieson, and many will be looking forward to the return of hero Kane Williamson. With Southee possibly sitting this one out, Santner might be back, and it wouldn’t be unrealistic to say that the quicks will again strike hard. In-form Ross Taylor, of course, will be looked upon for another batful of runs, with the openers also hopefully putting in their dues.
 
In the Indian camp, every single player will be under scrutiny, with the selectors possibly axing a few from the ODI team depending on their performances as well as the outcome of the match. For India, the spinners starred in the last game and will be expected to again, and with the bat, perhaps King Kohli can show the world why he’s the number 1 ranked batsman, with Iyer continuing on his terrific form.

Who will win the match?

Match Prediction: India To Win (1.62 @ 1XBET)

Other Betting Tips:

• Toss - India
• NZ top batsman - Ross Taylor
• India top batsman - Virat Kohli
• Team Scores Batting first – India 265+, New Zealand 260+
• Player to score a fifty – Ross Taylor (NZ), JDS Neesham (NZ), Martin Guptill (NZ), KL Rahul (India) & Virat Kohli (India)
• Most Match Sixes - New Zealand
• Most wickets - Mitchell Santner (NZ), Kyle Jamieson (NZ), Jasprit Bumrah (India) Yuzvendra Chahal (India)
• Most catches - TWM Latham (NZ)

Will New Zealand exact vengeance for their whitewash in the T20 series? Or will India come away with something to show for their efforts? Find out on the 11th!