New Zealand vs India 2019: India's Predicted Playing XI for the third ODI

The Indian team went up 2-0 in the series with another convincing performance against New Zealand in the second game. After the Indian batsmen made sure that they had a competitive score on the board, the bowling clicked together to ensure that the Kiwi batsmen were kept under pressure.

In the end, it was the spinners who were the most fruitful, picking up seven wickets between them. Kuldeep Yadav finished his spell with four wickets in the innings.

The action will now move to the 28th, with the Bay Oval continuing to be the host ground for the third ODI.

With their winning combination sorted, the Indian team will be looking to make very few changes for the third game, and might experiment only for the fourth and fifth ODI, when Virat Kohli heads back.

Here's India's predicted XI for the third ODI:

Openers - Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan

Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma in the middle

Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have been in fine touch, which bodes well for India ahead of the World Cup. The former was the Man of the Match in the second ODI, while the latter has looked in good touch throughout, posting two back-to-back fifties.

The way the two work together in tandem, be it against the pacers or the spinners, is their biggest strength. When one finds it difficult to get going, the other takes charge and keeps the run-flow going.

Rohit Sharma's 87 off 96 balls turned out to be the rock in India's first innings score of 324, which was assisted well by Shikhar Dhawan's 66 at the top. Together, their 154-run first wicket stand gave India the chance to post in excess of 300, and even 350 seemed easily in sight.

Middle-order - Virat Kohli, Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni

Kohli has been rested for the last two ODI and the T20I series

Virat Kohli has been rested for the final two ODIs and the T20I series which gives him much needed time off ahead of the IPL and the World Cup. In the absence, the middle-order might seem a little fragile.

The Indian team might stick to Ambati Rayudu for this series, despite Dinesh Karthik's good nick in the last series against Australia. Rayudu looked scratchy in the Australia series, and even though he managed a few runs under his belt this time, he still needs to make more impact at No.4.

MS Dhoni came in late and tried to get the run-rate going. While the timing was not as good as he would have wanted it to be, he still ended with 48 off 33, with his strike-rate in the high 140s. His keeping was indifferent - he dropped a catch off Martin Guptill's bat, but was smooth against the spinners as shown by his stumping of Ross Taylor.

All-rounders: Kedar Jadhav and Hardik Pandya

Kedar Jadhav's impact at the end of the innings, as well as with the ball in his hand, cannot be undermined. Slightly built, Jadhav has been improving in stature as a batsman at the death. He is particularly useful because of the way he can accelerate, irrespective of the conditions. His unorthodox technique helps him face the best of bowlers without any fear.

For Hardik Pandya, it is time for redemption. The Koffee with Karan saga must have taken a heavy toll on him mentally, but the best thing for him is to make up for the lost time by performing in the middle. If he is a serious candidate in the management's World Cup plans, he will need as much game time as possible.

Vijay Shankar did not get to bat, and wasn't as effective with the ball, which might compel the management to bring back Pandya for the third ODI.

Pacers - Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami

Bhuvneshwar got rid of Guptill in the second game

Ever since his comeback from injury, Bhuvneshwar Kumar has been in phenomenal touch with the white ball, showing what exactly the Indian team missed with his absence. The tall pacer looked good in the second ODI too, keeping pressure on the New Zealand openers, which ultimately led to the wicket of Martin Guptill, who was caught in the deep by Chahal off Bhuvi's bowling.

Mohammed Shami has emerged as a match-winner for India with the white ball right in time for the World Cup. The pacer has left injuries and personal issues behind, and looks set to don the Indian colours regularly in 50-overs cricket. He was named Man of the Match in the first ODI for his brilliant spell, and although he did not take as many wickets in the second game, his dismissal of Kane Williamson was crucial as it put brakes on the Kiwi chase.

Spinners - Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal

The spinners have been one of India's strongest points in the limited-overs setup

The spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal have been sensational for India with the ball in the middle overs. Their potency together has ensured that the Indian team has gone past the idea of keeping two finger spinners in their line-up.

Even in the second ODI, Chahal and Kuldeep, along with the off-spin of Kedar Jadhav, ensured that the run-flow was stopped in the middle, even though batsmen like Ross Taylor and Tom Latham were in the middle.

Kuldeep was brought in late but ensured that he ended with four wickets, taking the heart out of the New Zealand chase.