India vs NZ, 3rd T20I: Series up for grabs as Thiruvananthapuram makes debut

Cricket - India v New Zealand - First One Day International Match - Mumbai, India – October 22, 2017 – India's captain Virat Kohli celebrates his century. REUTERS/Danish Siddiqui - RC18A360F980

A resurgent New Zealand will take on a confident India in the third and final Twenty20 International (T20I) in Thiruvananthapuram on Tuesday.

New Zealand had levelled the series on Saturday after beating India by 40 runs in Rajkot. India had won the first match on November 1 in Delhi, which was also their first T20I victory over the Black Caps.

The home side will be looking to clinch their maiden T20I series against New Zealand, while the visitors will be hoping to win a series on Indian soil for the second time.

Players to watch out for

Both, Virat Kohli who is currently in sublime form and MS Dhoni, who scored 49 in Rajkot, will be raring to take the field in Thiruvananthapuram.

New Zealand captain Kane Williamson has had an ordinary tour so far barring the 64 he scored in the third ODI in Kanpur. Williamson would be hoping to get a big knock in the last match of the tour.

Even though the Black Caps would not want to make changes to a winning side, Tom Latham, who was left out of New Zealand's playing XI in Rajkot, may be called in for the all-important tour-finale. Latham has had a successful series so far.

New stadium

The Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram will be hosting its first ever international cricket match. It will also become the 50th international cricket venue in the country.

The capital of Kerala had last hosted an international match 29 years ago, at the university ground. It was also the last time Ravi Shastri, now India's coach, had captained the national side.

Efforts are on to make the match an environment-friendly affair by cutting down on the amount of waste generated during the match and recycling it.

The Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation, Kerala Cricket Association and an NGO have got food vendors and the match's official beverage partner on board. Plastic bottles of a specific quality will be used so that they can be recycled later.

The Greenfield Intl Stadium at Kariavatto in Thiruvananthapuram is all set to become India's 50th cricket ground to host an intl.#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/XS3PE9mSf2

— Mohandas Menon (@mohanstatsman) November 6, 2017

According to media reports, the organisers have said that the practice match that happened at the venue yielded a 180-plus score in both innings. However, the pitch is new and remains uncharted.

The weather could be a dampener. It has rained heavily in Thiruvananthapuram over the last few days and the pitch had remained covered for most part of Monday. According to weather forecasts, chances of a few showers during the game remain significantly high. However, it is a new ground with a modern drainage system with three Super Soppers. This means the ground staff should be able to clear excess water even if it rains before the play starts.

All in all, the tour finale is set to be an exciting, high stakes game between two competitive teams. Both teams will be hoping to create history in their own way - India's first T20I series win over New Zealand or the visitors' second T20I series win against India in five years.

Unbelievable scenes at 12.30 am in Thiruvananthapuram on landing #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/VM8CE4tX0O

— Ravi Shastri (@RaviShastriOfc) November 6, 2017