India look to sign off T20I series in Hamilton after Eden Park mauling

India go into Sunday’s last T20I in Hamilton with the series won but with a fresh bruise. Shreyas Iyer’s side meet New Zealand at Seddon Park at 12:30 pm IST, two days after the hosts piled up 259 for seven at Eden Park and won by 87 runs.

That defeat broke a run of three Indian wins: two tight chases in Christchurch and a rout in Wellington, where they chased 199 in 13.2 overs. India lead 3-1, so Sunday is about finishing well before five one-day internationals start in Auckland on 4 November.

New Zealand needed a Glenn Phillips century and a Michael Bracewell blitz to reach their total on Friday, and Mitchell Santner’s side will want a second straight win to take into the ODIs.

Selection questions

The bowling is where India have most to settle. Bhuvneshwar Kumar was left out on Friday after taking one wicket in three matches at an economy of 11.58, and Mayank Yadav took three wickets in his place. Former India batter Ajinkya Rahane urged patience with the veteran. “For me, the biggest story is that he has made a comeback at this age,” he said on his YouTube channel.

Kuldeep Yadav is expected to return, with Varun Chakaravarthy also available, and there has been talk of resting Arshdeep Singh, India’s best bowler on the tour, to fit in an extra spinner. At the top of the order, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who made 45 off 19 balls in the third match, could come back after sitting out on Friday when Ishan Kishan returned from injury.

Seddon Park has hosted 23 men’s and women’s T20Is, with an average first-innings score of 168. Its highest total, 212 for four, was made by New Zealand against India.