India vs New Zealand 2017: 5 player battles to watch out for

#3 Hardik Pandya vs Tim Southee

Pandya's big hitting could come to the fore

On the one hand, we have a hard-hitter who can decimate any given attack on his day, and on the other, one of the best seamers going around who, with his swing and accurate line and length, has stemmed the flow of runs each time he has come on to bowl. The match could well come down to the contest between Hardik Pandya and Tim Southee.

Slotting into the middle order, Pandya's pyrotechnics with the bat and finishing skills have come to the fore on more than just a few occasions and if need be, he could well be pushed up the order to up the ante. Given his strike rate against spin, the only option for NZ would be to turn to Southee.

The Black Caps will have to be aware of Pandya's firepower, and the fact that he's fresh from picking up the Man of the Series award against Australia would only emphasise the need for Southee to be at his very best.