New Zealand have to win the third T20I against India in windy Wellington on Tuesday to keep the series alive. After comfortable wins in Christchurch,
India lead the series 2-0.The hosts were dealt a blow ahead of the match as two of their pacers, Matt Henry or Lockie Ferguson, are unavailable for the match.
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India, meanwhile, will be without the injured Ishan Kishan. Teen sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi stepped into the one down position for him in the previous match. Though he was not able to make an instant impact, he will be looking to make a mark in Wellington.
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Heavy rain is forecast across Tuesday morning, with the chance of precipitation sitting at 95% or higher from 7am to 9am before the front clears through and leaves the evening dry.
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The oddity in the forecast is the wind.
Wellington is the windiest city in the country, and the Cake Tin is where that reputation gets tested, but Tuesday evening is expected to bring southeasterlies of only 11 km/h, easing to 8 km/h by the close, with gusts not exceeding 27 km/h.
What the players will notice instead is the cold. The daytime high is forecast at 14°C, and the temperature is expected to be down to 9°C by 11pm, roughly eight degrees cooler than Christchurch was on Saturday night.
All times NZDT
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5:00 PM: 14°C, rain chance below 5%
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6:00 PM: 14°C, rain chance below 5%
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7:00 PM (toss expected at 7:30 PM): 14°C, rain chance below 5%
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8:00 PM (start): 12°C, rain chance 10%
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9:00 PM: 11°C, rain chance 10%
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10:00 PM: 10°C, rain chance below 5%
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11:00 PM: 9°C, rain chance below 5%
Though rain is forecast in the morning, it should clear up by the evening before the match starts.
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Hourly figures through the match sit at 10% or below, dropping back under 5% for the second innings, which makes an interruption unlikely despite the day’s overall rain chance of around 28%.
The wider picture supports that. Clear skies are forecast from around 10pm, and the following two days in Wellington are expected to be sunny, so the front moving through on Tuesday morning is the last of this system rather than the start of it.
Should rain arrive despite the forecast, the match could either be delayed or shortened, with the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method used to set a revised target. A minimum of five overs per side is needed for a result, and a complete washout would see the game abandoned, as there is no reserve day.
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An abandonment would suit India, who would retain their 2-0 lead with two to play and could not then lose the series.
A morning of heavy rain followed by a cold, still, humid evening is about the most dew-friendly combination available, and with humidity rising through the second innings, the side bowling last should expect a wet ball. The toss winner is likely to field.
The surface itself tends to favour the quicks over the spinners, and the first-innings average in T20Is here is 153, well below what both sides have been posting in Christchurch. The square boundaries are short at around 60 metres, which is where New Zealand’s lack of a slower-ball specialist may be exposed.
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The ground has history on New Zealand’s side. The highest T20I total here is 219 for 6, made by the hosts against India, and India have never won a T20I at this venue inside the regulation 20 overs.
The third T20I between New Zealand and India takes place at the Hnry Stadium, also known as Sky Stadium, in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27, 2026.
Play is expected to begin at 8 PM local time, which is 12:30 PM IST, with the toss half an hour earlier at 7:30 PM local time, or 12 PM IST.
Here’s how to watch the New Zealand vs. India match in India:
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TV channel: Sony Sports Network
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Live stream: SonyLIV
The match will be broadcast live on the Sony Sports Network channels in India, and fans can also follow the action by streaming it on SonyLIV.
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