India captain Hardik Pandya won the toss and elected to bat first against New Zealand in the Thursday’s Twenty20 decider at the world’s biggest cricket ground in Ahmedabad.

With the three-match series level at 1-1, the hosts made one change from Sunday’s win in the low-scoring thriller at Lucknow.

Tearaway quick Umran Malik comes in for leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

The Kiwis have handed an international debut to left-arm quick Benjamin Lister, who replaces fellow fast bowler Jacob Duffy.

Skipper Mitchell Santner said he would have opted to bowl anyways had he won the toss at the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium.

Teams

India: Shubman Gill, Ishan Kishan (wk), Rahul Tripathi, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya (capt), Deepak Hooda, Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh

New Zealand: Finn Allen, Devon Conway (wk), Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (capt), Ish Sodhi, Lockie Ferguson, Ben Lister, Blair Tickner

Umpires: Jayaraman Madanagopal (IND), Nitin Menon (IND)

TV Umpire: Anil Chaudhary (IND)

Match Referee: Javagal Srinath (IND)