India vs New Zealand: R Ashwin makes bullish 'early' prediction for IND vs NZ 3rd ODI

Veteran spinner Ravichandran Ashwin has made a bullish prediction for the ongoing third and final ODI between India and New Zealand. Ashwin took to his official Twitter handle to predict that India may score over 400 runs in the ongoing match in Indore. "400 plus score today?," Ashwin wrote on the micro-blogging platform after Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma provided an explosive start to their team. 

400 plus score today? #earlycall #INDvsNZ

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 24, 2023

Earlier in the match, New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and elected to field first at Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore. Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill opened the batting and have already forged yet another 100-run opening partnership for India. They scored the first 100 runs off just 78 deliveries. Shubman Gill has scored his second half-century in 50-over cricket, while Rohit reached his 49th ODI fifty with a massive six down the ground. 

ALSO READ | IND Vs NZ 3rd ODI Live Score and Updates

India vs New Zealand, 3rd ODI: Playing XIs

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Umran Malik.

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (captain & wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner, Lockie Ferguson.

India vs New Zealand ODIs: Full squads

India's Squad For New Zealand ODIs: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Ishan Kishan (wk), Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Washington Sundar, Shardul Thakur, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Mohammed Siraj, Yuzvendra Chahal, Srikar Bharat, Rajat Patidar, Shahbaz Ahmed, Umran Malik.

New Zealand's Squad for India ODIs: Tom Latham (c), Finn Allen, Doug Bracewell [for Matt Henry], Michael Bracewell, Mark Chapman, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Lockie Ferguson, Daryl Mitchell, Henry Nicholls, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Henry Shipley, Ish Sodhi, Blair

India have already secured the series thanks to back-to-back wins in the first two matches last week. India won the first game by 12 runs and the second by 8 wickets. Shubman Gill and Mohammed Shami were named the player of the match in the first two games, respectively.

Shubman Gill scored a double century in the first ODI to help India post a mammoth target of 350 runs on the board. India then bowled the Kiwis out for 337 runs to win by 12 runs. In the second ODI, Mohammed Shami led from the front to restrict New Zealand to just 108 runs, and then the Indian batters did their job to win by 8 wickets.

Image: BCCI