The Big Picture

It all started well and good for the Women's team. Backed up by the magnificent Mandhana and the prodigy Rodrigues in batting and the troika of spinners, the Women in Blue won the ODI series without breaking a sweat.

But, as they say, your overreliance tends to get exposed as the tour wore on which was exactly what has happened with the Women in Blue- especially in the T20Is that have followed the ODI series.

The Women's leadership group is in a quandary of sorts. They had left out veteran Mithali Raj in a bid to build for the future but with their middle-order sans Raj exploding to ashes in the first two games, it is a question of ego or pride that will determine whether Raj makes it the playing 11.

India did put up a commendable fight in the second T2OI but that was more down to the bowlers making up for the howlers made by the middle-order. While India lost 9-34 in the first T20I at Wellington, the second game at Auckland saw only two of them- Rodriques and Mandhana register double-digit scores. Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur have failed to get going in both games and with Raj, not in the side, the onus will be on her to spearhead the middle-order

The White Ferns', on the other hand, have not a lot to ponder about after two back-to-back wins in the T20Is. Experienced campaigners in Bates, Devine, and skipper Amy Satterthwaite have chipped in with the bat while the likes of Lea Tahuhu, Leigh Kasperek and Amelia Kerr have made telling contributions with the ball to round-off what has been a much-needed win for the side after a disappointing World Twenty20 campaign and an ODI series loss at home to India.

Match Details-

Venue- Seddon Park, Hamilton

When- Sunday, February 10, 2019, 08:30 AM IST

Recent Form-

White Ferns'- WWL

India- LLL

Pitch Conditions-

Another flat batting track awaits both sides' at the Seddon Park in Hamilton. The average first innings total at the venue is 168 with the highest score being 5-202. Expect a lot of fireworks from both sides.

Team News & Playing 11

Do not fix anything when it ain't broken. The White Ferns' would be looking to field the same Playing 11 which has helped them take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series.

Playing 11- Suzie Bates, Sophie Devine, Amy Satterthwaite [c], Catlin Gurrey, Katey Martin [wk], Anna Peterson, Leigh Kasperek, Hannah Rowe, Amelia Kerr, Lea Tahuhu, Rosemary Mair

For India, the big question is will Mithali find a place in the playing 11? Or will India continue to build for the future?

Playing 11- Priya Punia, Smriti Mandhana, Jemiamah Rodrigues, Harmanpreet Kaur [c], Dayalan Hemlatha/Mithali Raj, Mansi Joshi, Arundhati Reddy, Deepti Sharma, Tanbya Bhatia [wk], Poonam Yadav, Radha Yadav