Indore’s Holkar Stadium is playing host to the 3rd and final ODI in the ongoing bilateral series between Rohit Sharma’s India and Tom Latham’s New Zealand side. After a weak batting display in the previous match, the Blackcaps will be itching to let the bat do the talking while the men in blue would want to extend their winning streak. If the pitch report and stats are anything to go by, we can expect this one to be a high-scoring affair.
Pitch Report: No help for bowlers, Paradise for batters
The pitch at Holkar Stadium is quite literally a belter for the batsmen and offers little to no help for bowlers, resulting in an average 1st innings score of 307 in the five ODIs played here. Add to that the relatively short boundaries and the batsmen would already be licking their lips to get out there and smash a few into the crowd. On the other hand, the average 2nd innings score at Holkar Stadium stands at 262, tilting matters slightly towards the team batting first.
But out of the 5 ODIs that have been played here, 3 of them have been won by the side batting first while the remaining 2 being clinched by the chasing side. So, the toss isn’t going to play a massive role in the game but with the increased chances of dew, whoever wins the toss will most likely prefer bowling first.
Pleasant memories for the men in blue at Holkar Stadium
It was at this venue where Team India put on a mammoth first innings score of 418 in a 2018 ODI against the West Indies with Virender Sehwag scoring a massive 219 off just 149 balls, hitting 7 sixes and 25 boundaries in what still remains one of the most entertaining displays of limited-overs batting.
So, buckle up men in blue fans because we might be in for another run-fest in the 3rd ODI between India and New Zealand, slated to take place on 24 Jan.
