India vs New Zealand: Kiwis need massive batting improvement to stay alive as Virat Kohli and Co aim to wrap series

In what was projected as a tough contest, the New Zealand tour, so far, has appeared to be a one-way contest in favour of the visitors. The spin attack in skipper Virat Kohli’s arsenal has made the New Zealand batting line-up appear feeble and weak. As the two teams meet again for the third ODI on Monday, the men in blue will look to seal the series, already having a 2-0 lead in the 5-match ODI series.

All eyes are likely to be on Kohli, as he would be eager to go into his well-deserved break on a high, possibly with his first century in the ongoing series. Given a break as part of BCCI’s workload management programme, the right-handed batsman will hope he could end his visit to New Zealand with another ton. In the past three innings, Kohli has been dismissed for 40s, and the 30-year-old would hope to get more runs under his belt.

The third ODI is also likely to see the return of Hardik Pandya, who was suspended along with KL Rahul for his controversial remarks on a talk show. The allrounder’s return will ensure balance in the ODI side, something even Kohli has admitted time and again. His replacement Vijay Shankar, who was only given two overs in the second ODI, did not create the impact and Pandya, at No. 6, could prove useful in the batting department as well.