The series is won, with India proving to be just too difficult a hurdle to cross over the five days for New Zealand. We have been treated to some gripping Test match cricket though, and hopefully, there is another one lying in wait in Indore.
India will target a series whitewash with victory in the third Test match, while New Zealand will hope to win those key battles and sessions to show they are capable of winning games in Indian conditions.
The Kiwis have sparkled in patches, showing great resolve with the bat and plenty of intelligence with the ball. The thing about Test cricket, though, is that you need to be able to show that resolve and intelligence through the five days. Winning a couple of sessions will not do, it needs to be taken forward to winning a day, and then the day after that and then the day after that.
New Zealand, for all their quality with bat and ball, just haven't been able to perform for a sustained period of time and that will be the target for the away side at the Holkar Stadium, the first time a Test match will be held at the venue.
For India, as Virat Kohli has said a number of times, every time they go out onto the pitch, the target is to win the game – so, series won or not, this will be a match that the home team will play with as much intensity as the first two.
This match is also an opportunity for the captain to find some runs. Kohli has so far made scores of 9, 18, 9 and 45 and for one of the best batsmen in the world, that is pretty poor. With the pressure off a touch, considering the series is already in the bag, this is the perfect opportunity for Kohli to get some Test match runs ahead of the big England series that begins next month.
India will also be forced into a bowling and batting change, with Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shikhar Dhawan out of this Test match through injury, and it will be interesting to see how the players that come into the playing XI – be that Umesh Yadav or Shardul Thakur amongst the bowlers and Gautam Gambhir or Karun Nair amongst the batsmen – cope.
This is an exciting India team to be in at the moment, so nobody will want to throw away the chance – making runs, taking wickets and giving Virat Kohli, Anil Kumble and the selectors a headache should be the plan.
India vs New Zealand: Third Test match schedule.
Date: Saturday, October 8 to Wednesday, October 12.
Time: 9.30am IST (5pm NZT, 5am BST, 12am ET).
Sessions timings: First session: 9.30am to 11.30am IST. Lunch: 11.30am to 12.10pm IST. Second session: 12.10pm to 2.10pm IST. Tea: 2.10pm to 2.30pm IST. Third session: 2.30pm to 4.30pm IST (can be extended by half an hour).
Venue: Holkar Stadium, Indore.
TV listings: India: Star Sports 1, Star Sports HD1, Star Sports 3 and Star Sports HD3 (Hindi commentary). New Zealand: Sky Sport 3. UK: Sky Sports 5. Middle East: OSN Sports Cricket. USA and Canada: Willow TV.
