Indore, Oct 7: The series already in their pocket and the number one ranking cemented, a dominant India go into the third Test against New Zealand here on Saturday (Oct 8), aiming yet another clean sweep of a Test rubber at home.
Ind-NZ series schedule; Ind-NZ photo gallery
The hosts had blanked Australia 4-0 in 2012-13 and the West Indies in the next season.
They nearly repeated the feat against South Africa last year and this impressive history in recent past makes India favourites in the first-ever Test being hosted by this city which has a long tradition in the game.
New Zealand, who have competed well in phases against the rampaging home team so far, have an enviable task of stopping the Virat Kohli-led side from notching up their 12th win at home from 14 encounters.
The Kiwis would hope that captain Kane Williamson, who missed the second game due to illness, regains full fitness to lead them for one last-ditch effort to score a rare victory on the Indian soil.
(India squad for first 3 ODIs against NZ announced)
Williamson batted in the nets yesterday and bowling coach Shane Jurgensen said the signs were positive. Williamson is easily their most accomplished batsman to negate the twin threat of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja as he showed in the lost cause (by 197 runs) in the series opener in Kanpur, making 75 and 25.
In Williamson's absence the Kiwis folded up without much of a fight for totals of 204 and 197 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata. His return is very important especially with the other top batsman in the ranks, Ross Taylor struggling for runs.
India become No.1 in Tests
New Zealand spinners too have been unable to exert sustained pressure on the Indian batsmen after the new ball bowlers make early inroads and this too has had a bearing on the series.
Tom Latham and Luke Ronchi have shown the way to some extent in batting against the Indian spin-oriented attack, but others need to step up.
Kiwis, on the other hand, have depended on their pace attack led well by Trent Boult and Matt Henry who was brought in to play in Kolkata to make it a three-pronged pace attack after the visitors had gone in with a three-pronged spin formation in the series-opener.
Match hosts, Madhya Pradesh Cricket Association, are upbeat in conducting the match successfully.
"We are leaving no stone unturned to make the scheduled match a success given that the Madhya Pradesh was holding the test for the first time," MPCA president Sanjay Jagdale said ahead of the historic maiden game in this former headquarters of the successful Holkar cricket outfit that won four Ranji Trophy titles in the 1940s and 50s.
Teams (from):
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (C), Trent Boult, Doug Bracewell, Jeetan Patel, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, James Neesham, Henry Nicholls, Luke Ronchi, Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Ross Taylor, Neil Wagner and BJ Watling.
India: Virat Kohli (C), Murali Vijay, Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Wriddhiman Saha, Ravindra Jadeja, Mohammed Shami, Amit Mishra, R Ashwin, Umesh Yadav, Jayant Yadav, Shardul Thakur and Karun Nair.
Match Starts at 9.30 AM IST.
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PTI