Cricket/New Zealand,Two-nil down with two to play, New Zealand are in a position where nothing less than a win will do. The fourth game offers them a good opportunity to mount a comeback - the Seddon Park in Hamilton is their favourite home venue, Daniel Vettori is back to lead the team and they'll be up against an Indian line-up without Sachin Tendulkar.
To register their first win, though, they will need to do more than just bank on past record. The bowling attack - apart from Vettori - has been a shambles so far, and the short boundaries in Hamilton won't ease their task. What will encourage the home team is the courage they showed when up against a daunting target in Christchurch, where they scored 334 and clearly rattled the Indians despite a middle-order collapse.
India have already ensured they'll get at least a share of the series, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni will want more than that: a win in either of the next two games will give India their first ODI series win in New Zealand. Tendulkar is absent, but the manner in which the entire batting line-up has fired suggests they'll still feel confident of sealing the series in Hamilton.
To register their first win, though, they will need to do more than just bank on past record. The bowling attack - apart from Vettori - has been a shambles so far, and the short boundaries in Hamilton won't ease their task. What will encourage the home team is the courage they showed when up against a daunting target in Christchurch, where they scored 334 and clearly rattled the Indians despite a middle-order collapse.
India have already ensured they'll get at least a share of the series, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni will want more than that: a win in either of the next two games will give India their first ODI series win in New Zealand. Tendulkar is absent, but the manner in which the entire batting line-up has fired suggests they'll still feel confident of sealing the series in Hamilton.
Team newsThe return of Vettori will be a huge relief for New Zealand, whose bowlers were battered all over the park on Sunday. Tim Southee was a victim of that bowling debacle, and has been dropped from the squad. Ian Butler, who is out with a thigh strain, will be missed, though - at an economy rate of 5.85, he has been one of the more stingy bowlers in the series so far. The changes mean New Zealand will try out debutant Ewen Thompson, whose left-arm fast-medium will offer more variety to the beleaguered bowling attack.
New Zealand (likely) 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Peter McGlashan (wk), 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Ewen Thompson, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Iain O'Brien.
The abdomen injury to Tendulkar has forced India to change their winning combination. Rohit Sharma is the likely replacement, though Irfan Pathan is an option as well. The other change could be the inclusion of Ishant Sharma, who missed the first three games due to injury but bowled in the nets in Hamilton. If fit, he will come in place of Munaf Patel.
India: 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Zaheer Khan.
New Zealand (likely) 1 Jesse Ryder, 2 Brendon McCullum, 3 Martin Guptill, 4 Ross Taylor, 5 Jacob Oram, 6 Peter McGlashan (wk), 7 Grant Elliott, 8 Daniel Vettori (capt), 9 Ewen Thompson, 10 Kyle Mills, 11 Iain O'Brien.
The abdomen injury to Tendulkar has forced India to change their winning combination. Rohit Sharma is the likely replacement, though Irfan Pathan is an option as well. The other change could be the inclusion of Ishant Sharma, who missed the first three games due to injury but bowled in the nets in Hamilton. If fit, he will come in place of Munaf Patel.
India: 1 Virender Sehwag, 2 Gautam Gambhir, 3 Suresh Raina, 4 Yuvraj Singh, 5 Mahendra Singh Dhoni (capt & wk), 6 Rohit Sharma, 7 Yusuf Pathan, 8 Praveen Kumar, 9 Harbhajan Singh, 10 Ishant Sharma, 11 Zaheer Khan.
Pitch & conditionsExpect another run-fest. The pitch is likely to be a belter, and with the short boundaries, bowlers will probably feel the heat again. Some rain is forecast in the morning, but that should clear by the time the match begins in the afternoon.
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