New Zealand opt to bat first, Santner ruled out with side strain

India is currently at the top of the WTC table and is competing for a spot in the final at Lord`s in June 2025 (Pic: AFP)

New Zealand skipper Tom Latham won the toss and elected to bat against India in the IND vs NZ 3rd Test on Friday.

Pacer Mohammed Siraj returned the side in place of Jasprit Bumrah, who has not fully recovered from his viral illness, in the only change to India's playing XI.

Having sealed the series 2-0, the visitors made two changes to their line-up.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who starred in the Pune Test with a 13-wicket match haul is out with a side strain. Leg spinner Ish Sodhi replaced Santner while pacer Matt Henry has come in for Tim Southee.

Left-arm spinner Ajaz Patel returns to the city of his birth, where he became the third bowler in cricket history to take all 10 wickets in an innings in New Zealand's previous tour to India in 2021.

India, led by Rohit Sharma, are looking to avoid a whitewash ahead of the hotly anticipated five Tests in Australia starting later this month. The hosts made one change from their 113-run loss in Pune, with Mohammed Siraj coming in for fellow quick Jasprit Bumrah, who is unwell.

Also Read: India eye a 'batter' show at Wankhede!

The pitch at the Wankhede is not expected to offer much help to fast bowlers. The red soil should provide good bounce, and the early-morning moisture combined with the new ball might offer a brief opportunity for fast bowlers to make an impact.

However, it is the spinners who are likely to play a more significant role. With India already losing the series 2-0--marking their first home series defeat in 12 years--the final Test is effectively a dead rubber, though there are valuable World Test Championship (WTC) points at stake. India is currently at the top of the WTC table and is competing for a spot in the final at Lord's in June 2025.

IND vs NZ 3rd Test: Teams

India: Rohit Sharma (c), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep and Mohammed Siraj

New Zealand: Tom Latham (c), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (wk), Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel and William ORourke

(With agency inputs)