India in NewZealand: 3rd Test : Team News

Faced with a must-win situation to level the series and salvage pride, New Zealand captain Daniel vettori will be hopeful of a better performance from the side after losing momentum in the middle of the second test match at Napier. For India, Dhoni has been slated to be part of the team, however this decision still hangs in balance after the team management announced that the final decision will only be taken on the first morning of the match. For New Zealand, Injured Daniel Flynn returns, Tim Southee has also been recalled.


The Conditions and the pitch will assist the faster bowlers. NZ have named additional fast bowler, Tim Southee in their 13 man squad for the third test at wellington to be played on April 3rd 2009. The 13 man squad also includes Daniel Flynn who returned to the side after sustaining a injury on the left hand during the second test. Jamie How, who played in the place of Daniel Flynn has also been named in the squad as cover player for Flynn. Addition of Southee could spell his return to the test squad having not played since the Adelaide test against Australia in December. Southee however made an appearance during the christchurch ODI where he was hit for over 100 runs in his ten overs courtesy Virender Sehwag. His return however is marked by consistent performances in the domestic tournaments. Catain Daniel Vettori will hope for a repeat performance from his batsman as they face up against what proved to be a strong batting line-up from India.

A lot will however depend on the opening batsman from both the sides. For India, Gautam Gambhir displayed a full range of defensive strokes in his innings of 137 to save the second test match. Virender Sehwag will be looking to settle down before he displayed his full range of strokes against the kiwi bowlers. For NZ, Martin Guptill and Tim McIntosh will need to build a bigger and a better partnership to give Jesse Ryder the kind of start he needs to build his innings on. Indian Bowlers on the other hand have to find a way to get Jesse Ryder out, The only way he's gotten out in the innings he's played so far is a stroke of lack of concentration, But all this came only after he'd scored big hundreds. India should also be looking to field better as they had a very bad outing on the field during the second test.

Zaheer and Ishant should be a handful given their ability to swing the ball even though most of the Kiwi batsmen have played a lot of cricket at this venue. Munaf Patel is the ideal third seamer in the Indian scheme of things.Though there was no official word on Dhoni’s fitness, the Indian captain looks set to wrest the reins after sufficient rest for his bad back, if his energetic practice sessions on Tuesday and Wednesday are any indication. It is evident that the skipper is eager to get another series win in his bulging bag.



Brendon McCullum on Conditions: “I think they (the Indians) will find it a little bit cold. If we find it cold here, no doubt they will be freezing. I am sure from their point of view they will be hoping that the wind dies down and the sun comes out but from ours, it will be great to have them on the park when the conditions are like this. I am sure we are going to find the conditions a little bit more pleasurable than they are,” he said on Wednesday.

“It’s usually a pretty good surface but depending on what the overhead conditions do over the next few days it will determine whether some moisture goes into it from those or whether it remains dry and plays as flat as it is predicted,” the 27year-old added. “We are more confident than we were after the Hamilton Test. It’s just the nature of how we competed in the last game and whilst we didn’t get the result, we should be a little bit wary about the confidence we do have,” he said.

Match telecast at 3.30 am IST on Friday.

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Kunal Janu