Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's promotion to No. 3 comes under scrutiny in Wellington

India can seal the T20I series in Wellington on Tuesday, but the 15-year-old they moved to No. 3 lasted eight balls in Christchurch

India lead the five-match series 2-0 and a win at Sky Stadium on Tuesday would put it beyond New Zealand with two matches still to play. The one place in their order that is not settled is first drop.

Ishan Kishan has been ruled out of the third T20I with a low-grade right adductor strain picked up in the opening match. The BCCI said the wicketkeeper-batter is recovering well but has not regained match fitness, and that its medical team is still monitoring him.

The man who took his place at No. 3 in Christchurch was Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, who walked in during the sixth over of the chase and made 4 from 8 balls before he was caught at cover off Nathan Smith. It was the first time he had batted there in international cricket.

Why India moved him up

The promotion was as much about protecting something that works as backing the teenager. Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson put on 93 in the powerplay in the first T20I, when India chased down 226 at Hagley Oval, and the team management was reluctant to break up an opening pair in that form.

That left No. 3 as the only route back into the side for Sooryavanshi, who had not been picked for the first match. Speaking before the series, captain Shreyas Iyer said the 15-year-old "can’t just walk straight into the team" because "our openers have been scoring consistently", and added that he has "many more years ahead to get opportunities".

Uncapped wicketkeeper-batter Kumar Kushagra, in New Zealand with the India A squad, joined as cover before the second match and stays for the third.

A sceptical verdict on the move

The experiment did not convince everyone. Reviewing the innings on Sony Sports Network, Ravichandran Ashwin said Sooryavanshi "just found himself a little like a fish out of water" and that "it did not feel like he was ever timing the ball".

Ashwin argued the slot asks a different question of a batter who made his name attacking the new ball, saying that "walking in during the sixth over is not his cup of tea" and that he was not sure Sooryavanshi had to bat there if India persisted with the same combination.

One alternative is to move Samson down. He has batted at first drop for long stretches in the IPL, and opening is where Sooryavanshi built a T20I record of just over 30 at a strike rate of 186.

A top order carried by the middle

India have won both matches by four wickets, and neither chase was comfortable. New Zealand made 180 for 5 in the second T20I, Glenn Phillips top-scoring with 70, and India slipped to 112 for 6 in the 15th over before Tilak Varma took the game away with 51 not out from 26 balls.

Mitchell Santner finished with 4-21 in that innings, the pick of the New Zealand bowling, and Nitish Kumar Reddy hit the winning runs with a ball to spare. India have found an answer each time, but not from the position now under review.

Wind and a fresh surface in Wellington

Conditions should favour strokeplay rather than survival. The square offers consistent pace and bounce, seamers get help with the new ball, and three of the last five T20Is there have been won by the side chasing.

The wind is the local variable. Forecasts point to a breezy evening at around 16C by day and closer to 10C at night, a different test from the seam-friendly surface India met in Christchurch.

New Zealand rearrange their pace attack

New Zealand have reshuffled their bowling group around workload limits. Matt Henry has finished with the T20Is and joins the ODI squad on November 2, Lockie Ferguson misses this match and returns for the last two, and Kyle Jamieson stays in Wellington afterwards to play for Canterbury in the Ford Trophy.

Blair Tickner has joined the squad for the last three matches and Matt Fisher has travelled as cover for this one. Head coach Rob Walter said the side is "very fortunate with the depth in the squad" after what he called "a competitive start to the T20 series with two close games".

The third T20I starts at 8pm local time on Tuesday, with India one win from the series and New Zealand needing a result to extend it.

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