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India Opt to Bat in Series Finale After Clinching T20I Win Over New Zealand

India won the toss and elected to bat first in the fifth and final T20I against New Zealand in Thiruvananthapuram, having already secured the series 3-1. Captain Suryakumar Yadav cited the desire to test the team under dewy conditions as preparation for the upcoming T20 World Cup. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner announced four changes to his side for the dead rubber. The match features key returns for India like Axar Patel and Ishan Kishan, with Sanju Samson confirmed in the playing XI.

Key Points: India vs NZ 5th T20I: Toss, Teams, Series Lead

  • India wins toss and chooses to bat
  • Series already won with 3-1 lead
  • Both teams testing combinations for T20 World Cup
  • New Zealand makes four changes to playing XI
2 min read

Fifth T20I: India win toss, opt to bat against New Zealand

India wins toss, bats first in final T20I vs New Zealand. Get playing XIs, captain quotes, and series update ahead of T20 World Cup.

"s, and series update ahead of T20 World Cup.QUOTE: We are going to bat first... we want to test ourselves. - Suryakumar Yadav"

Thiruvananthapuram, January 31

Team India won the toss and decided to bat first against the New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I against the New Zealand at the Greenfield International Stadium on Saturday.

The Men in Blue have pocketed the five-match T20I series, securing a 3-1 unassailable lead. However, the hosts suffered a convincing 50-run defeat in Visakhapatnam during the fourth T20I against New Zealand.

The five-match T20I series between India and New Zealand will help both countries prepare for the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, starting next month in India and Sri Lanka.

After winning the toss, Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav said there was a lot of dew yesterday, and they want to test their side ahead of the upcoming T20 World Cup.

"We are going to bat first. We were here last night, there was a lot of dew (yesterday), and we want to test ourselves. The groundsman says it will be true for 40 overs. Axar returns, Ishan returns, and one more. Don't worry, Thiruvananthapuram, Sanju Samson is playing tonight. We are waiting for him (Tilak). We have almost covered all the departments, every game we learn something and take it forward."

After losing the toss, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said, "It might not be too dewy tonight. We have four changes - Allen in for Conway, Neesham in for Chapman, and KJ and Lockie in. It is always nice to have them back. And it is an opportunity to see what they have got."

Teams:

New Zealand (Playing XI): Tim Seifert(w), Finn Allen, Rachin Ravindra, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mitchell Santner(c), Kyle Jamieson, Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Jacob Duffy India (Playing XI): Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson(w), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav(c), Rinku Singh, Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Arshdeep Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Jasprit Bumrah.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

S
Sarah B
Interesting team selection. Good to see Ishan and Axar back. But I'm a bit worried about the middle order consistency. The loss in Vizag showed we can't take anything for granted, even with the series won. Need a solid performance tonight.
R
Rohit P
Bumrah is back in the XI! That's the biggest positive. Our bowling looks complete with him leading the attack. This match is all about fine-tuning for the World Cup. Let's hope the dew doesn't play spoilsport like SKY mentioned.
P
Priya S
Honestly, I would have liked to see more of Tilak Varma. He's been impressive. But I understand they want to test combinations. Just hope the constant chopping and changing doesn't affect player confidence. Rinku Singh deserves a long run, he's a finisher we need.
V
Vikram M
New Zealand has made four changes, they're clearly experimenting too. Good competitive spirit. This is what a bilateral series before a World Cup should be about. May the best team win! (But obviously hoping it's India 😄)
K
Karthik V
The focus is rightly on the World Cup. Winning the series is done. Now we need to see if this batting order can set or chase a big total under different conditions. Batting first on a "true" wicket is the perfect test. Let's go, Men in Blue!

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