India’s team combination will be the central talking point as the world champions look to make a few adjustments for the fifth and final T20 International against New Zealand in Hamilton on Sunday, with the series already secured at 3-1.
While the result may not have a bearing on the series outcome, the contest offers the team management an opportunity to assess its bench strength and address a few concerns before shifting focus to the upcoming five-match ODI series. The heavy defeat in the fourth T20I could also prompt the think tank to revisit its combination, particularly in the batting and bowling departments.
The possible return of teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is one of the key selection questions. Sanju Samson could make way for the youngster after an inconsistent run at the top of the order. Samson has managed scores of 67, 14, 18 and 4 in the series, and a break could give him time to regroup while allowing Sooryavanshi another opportunity to showcase his attacking potential.
Skipper Shreyas Iyer’s place in the batting order is another aspect that could come under scrutiny. Since registering his maiden T20 hundred, the middle-order batter has struggled to produce a substantial innings, with his subsequent eight outings yielding scores of 40, 1, 16, 22, 42, 7, 5 and 22.
His lack of consistency has, however, received less attention because of the contributions from the lower middle order. Tilak Varma, Naman Dhir and Nitish Kumar Reddy have provided India with valuable late-order hitting, repeatedly rescuing the innings with their aggressive strokeplay. Their growing importance also makes it difficult for the management to tinker too much with the batting structure.
Will Kuldeed finally get a chance
The bigger selection dilemma, perhaps, lies in the bowling department. India have struggled to find consistent wicket-taking options beyond Arshdeep Singh, with Axar Patel offering some control in the middle overs.
The much-anticipated return of Bhuvneshwar Kumar has not gone according to plan, with the experienced pacer managing just one wicket in three matches while conceding 139 runs at an economy rate of 11.58.
Arshdeep remains the only Indian bowler to have maintained an economy rate below 10 in the series, underlining the need for greater support from the other end.
The management could consider bringing in either Kuldeep Yadav or Varun Chakravarthy to strengthen the spin attack. However, accommodating another specialist bowler would most likely require sacrificing one of the batting options, with Dhir emerging as a possible candidate to make way. Such a move would give India a more established bowling combination but reduce their depth in the lower order.
Spin-bowling coach Sairaj Bahutule has already indicated that both Kuldeep and Chakravarthy are ready whenever the opportunity comes, though their inclusion is far from certain.
India could also explore the option of using Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma as additional bowling resources, but that would leave them with limited options in a format where the margin for error is very small.
For New Zealand, the final match offers an opportunity to finish the series on a positive note and carry some momentum into the ODI assignments. The hosts have struggled for consistency across the four games but will take encouragement from Glenn Phillips’ century and Michael Bracewell’s aggressive half-century in the previous outing.
With the ODI series also serving as an important opportunity for both sides to assess their combinations ahead of next year’s ICC World Cup, Sunday’s encounter could provide valuable clues about the direction in which the two teams are looking to build.
Squads
INDIA: Shreyas Iyer (C), Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson (wk), Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ishan Kishan (wk), Tilak Varma (vc), Axar Patel, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Naman Dhir, Prince Yadav, Mayank Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Varun Chakaravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav.
NEW ZEALAND: Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Bevon Jacobs, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Devon Conway, Mitchell Santner (C), Michael Bracewell, Nathan Smith, Blair Tickner, Matt Fisher, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Adam Milne, Josh Clarkson .