After a comprehensive defeat, New Zealand bounced back well to thrash the star-studded Indian side in the second ODI by seven wickets. Apart from a century from KL Rahul, nothing went in favor of India. The top-order batters had starts, but none of them made it big. Rahul did score a century, but he took too many balls at the start.
With the ball, the Kiwi batters humiliated Indian bowlers and tore them apart. Daryl Mitchell once again became the difference-maker against India and slammed his 8th ODI ton to take New Zealand over the line. He scored an unbeaten 131 off 117 balls. Before him, Will Young also played well for his 87.
For India, their bowlers have struggled in both games, and their batting approach in the middle overs cost them the game. Can India bounce back, or can New Zealand record a historic series win? If they can beat India, it will be their first ever bilateral ODI series win in India. The final ODI will be held at Holkar Stadium, starting at 1:30 PM IST on January 18 (Sunday).
IND vs NZ: Match Info.
·Series: New Zealand tour of India 2026
·Match: India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI
·Venue: Holkar Cricket Stadium, Indore
·Time: 1:30 PM IST
·Date: January 18, 2026 (Sunday)
India vs New Zealand: Head-to-Head: IND (63) – NZ (51)
New Zealand have now won 53 ODIs against India until now. There have been 122 ODIs between these two great sides. India are still in the lead with 63 wins, while seven games have been abandoned, and one match was tied.
IND vs NZ: Pitch Report
Holkar Cricket Stadium offers a dream surface to bat on. It is pretty flat and offers good bounce to play shots with a fast outfield and shorter boundaries. It is one of the toughest venues for the bowlers. The average first-inning score here is around 295-300, and it is a high-scoring venue.
IND vs NZ: Live Streaming Details
·TV: Star Sports Network
·Digital: Jio Hotstar (App or Website)
IND vs NZ: Weather Report
The weather forecast for Sunday afternoon in Indore is sunny and bright, with the highest temperature reaching 27°C. The expected wind speed is likely to be around 11-13 kmph, with an average humidity of 45 percent.
New Zealand: Henry Nicholls, Devon Conway, Will Young, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Mitchell Hay (wk), Zakary Foulkes, Kristian Clarke, Kyle Jamieson, Jayden Lennox
IND vs NZ: Probable Best Batter
New Zealand: Daryl Mitchell has always done well against India. In his last five ODI innings against India, he has scored three centuries and two half-centuries and has become a headache for Indian bowlers.
India: Virat Kohli got out in an unlucky manner in the second ODI after getting a start. But the way he is performing, he himself will look to play a match-winning knock here to lead India to the series win.
IND vs NZ: Probable Best Bowler
New Zealand: Kyle Jamieson is a seasoned bowler, and his experience of playing against India and in India makes him a crucial bowler for the visitors.
India: None of the Indian bowlers have looked consistent in two games. Only Harshit Rana has looked good in patches. He gives his all, which works well sometimes.
India vs New Zealand Today’s Match Prediction:Both teams will be under pressure, because repeating the mistakes can cost the game. The toss will also be important because, as seen in both games, the team that has batted second won the matches. It is because the pitches are flat, and dew in the second innings does make a difference. Surprisingly, Indian bowlers have failed in their own conditions, and the Kiwi bowlers have done better than them.
India need a big innings from their top order and wickets from spinners. New Zealand have batted well in the middle overs, which India have lacked in both games. We will wait until the toss to predict a winner, but India will be slightly more favorites going into this game.
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