(Reuters) – New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and chose to bat first against India in the third and final test of their series in Mumbai on Friday.
The tourists made two changes to their team, with spinner Mitchell Santner ruled out due to a side strain and replaced by Ish Sodhi, while a fit-again Matt Henry replaces fellow pace bowler Tim Southee.
“It’s a reasonably good surface and we want to put runs on the board and put pressure later,” Latham said. “Whether we’re batting or bowling first, it’s about adjusting to the surface.”
India brought in seamer Mohammed Siraj for Jasprit Bumrah, who is unwell.
“We would have batted first too,” said India skipper Rohit Sharma. “We accept that we haven’t played well this series, but this is an opportunity to correct that.”
Kane Williamson continues to be absent for New Zealand, as the batting mainstay nurses a groin strain before a three-match home series against England.
New Zealand won the opening match in Bengaluru by eight wickets for their first test victory in India in 36 years, and wrapped up the series in Pune with a 113-run win.
It was New Zealand’s maiden series win in India going back to 1955 and the Black Caps snapped the hosts’ home streak of 18 straight series triumphs since a 2-1 loss to England in 2012.
The last time India were blanked in a home series was in 2000 when they lost 2-0 to South Africa, and they will eye a morale boosting win before a five-match tour of Australia.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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