IND vs NZ Preview | India enter last chance salon to decide World Cup combinations with series already sealed

Today at 5:30 PM

The fourth match in the T20I series between India and New Zealand is set for January 28 in Vizag. India has already taken an unassailable 3-0 lead and can already focus on experimentation, and now it's New Zealand's turn to try and turn things around to avoid a total sweep in the five-match series.

India's got a solid lead in the series due to some top-notch performances from the opening batsmen and a pretty flexible batting lineup. The team's making a great start and just keeps on going right through to the powerplay - it's been a tough one for the opposition to get a foothold.

New Zealand are still trying to get to grips with the conditions and it's been a bit of an uphill battle so far. They're losing wickets early in the top order and the bowlers have been struggling to cope with India's quick pace. So we'll be keeping an eye on the team's depth and balance in the 4th T20I.

Form Guide

India's in the zone at the moment with a five game winning streak under their belt. Their wins over South Africa and New Zealand were pretty convincing and showed a good mix of aggression and control from the team.

New Zealand on the other hand have been all over the shop - they had a win followed by a no result then took a series of losses against India. They're having problems getting off to a good start and can't seem to hold onto totals.

India: W W W W W

New Zealand: NR W L L L

India vs New Zealand Head-to-Head

India and New Zealand have played each other a fair bit in T20I cricket but to be fair, India have come out on top most of the time in recent years.

India have got the hang of playing at home and have been doing very well when it comes to head to head matches. New Zealand can be a bit hit and miss and just can't seem to clock up the wins when it counts.

India 15-10 New Zealand

Pitch and Weather

The game will be taking place at the Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam. The pitch is generally pretty even and is suitable for T20 cricket. Batters can play shots without worry right at the start of the innings.

Later on the surface can slow down a bit and start giving more opportunities to the spin bowlers. It's also worth keeping an eye on the dew - it can make the ball pretty tricky to control.

We're expecting a pretty stable weather pattern with temperatures in the mid twenties, high humidity and no sign of rain. So fingers crossed, a full match should go ahead without any holdups.

The captain who wins the toss is pretty likely to bowl first.

Team News

India approaches the match without any major changes to its lineup. The team retains its proven combination of aggressive top order and reliable bowling line-up.

New Zealand continues to search for the optimal balance. The main focus is on experienced players and fast bowlers capable of keeping up with India's pace.

India (Probable XI): Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Rinku Singh, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh

New Zealand (Probable XI): Finn Allen, Tim Seifert (wk), Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Bevon Jacobs, Mark Chapman, Mitchell Santner (c), Kyle Jamieson, Matt Henry, Jacob Duffy, Ish Sodhi

Broadcasting Platforms

The India & New Zealand match will be available live on Star Sports and DD Sports, as well as digitally via JioHotstar, where viewers can watch live coverage and pre- and post-match analysis.