3rd Test Updates: Sundar strikes; Latham out for 28

India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Rishabh Pant (w/k), Sarfaraz Khan, Ravindra Jadeja, Washington Sundar, Ravichandran Ashwin, Akash Deep, Mohammed Siraj.

New Zealand: Tom Latham (captain), Devon Conway, Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Blundell (w/k), Glenn Phillips, Ish Sodhi, Matt Henry, Ajaz Patel, William ORourke.

India, seeking to avoid the series whitewash, have made one big change with Jasprit Bumrah out and Mohammed Siraj coming back into the team.

'Jasprit Bumrah has not fully recovered from his viral illness. He was unavailable for selection for the third Test in Mumbai,' said BCCI.

New Zealand have suffered as Mitchell Santner, who took 13 wickets in the Pune Test, ruled out of the match with a side strain as Ish Sodi replaces him, while Matt Henry comes in for Tim Southee.

India's two senior batters -- Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli -- have been the biggest letdowns so far with 62 and 88 runs respectively in the first two Tests.

While Rohit has paid the price for his ultra-aggressive tactics, Kohli's woes against spin have been quite glaring -- falling to the spinners in three out of his four innings.

The way he missed a full toss from Mitchell Santner in the first innings in Pune left everyone shocked and it will be up to the Indian batting star to make a strong comeback in Mumbai.

Interestingly, Rohit has played one Test at his home ground at the Wankhede -- hitting an unbeaten century (111 not out) against the West Indies in 2013. On the other hand, Kohli has played five Tests at this venue, scoring 469 runs at an average of 58, with a double century and three fifties.

India face their biggest challenge at home when they clash with New Zealand in the third Test as they are left to salvage pride and fight a perception about their diminishing ability to negotiate quality spin attack.

After losing their first home series in 12 years, India need to win the Wankhede Test to remain in contention for a slot in the World Test Championship final, while also avoiding only their second series whitewash at home.

With six Tests remaining in the 2023-25 cycle, two-time runner-up India will need to win at least four more to have another crack at the WTC trophy.

Regardless of their remarkable fightback in the second innings of the opening Test, the abysmal show from India's famed batters against quality seam in Bengaluru and an abject surrender against spin have set in motion the beginning of the end for some of India's superstars.

While it remains to be seen how far the four seniors in captain Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja go in responding to this crisis, they would be served well if the workload is equally shared by young guns Yashasvi Jaiswal and Shubman Gill.

New Zealand's meticulous preparations and near-perfect execution of plans have posed some tough questions to India's batters and bowlers alike and the hosts are yet to respond.

The visitors exposed India's batters with both pace and spin in Bengaluru and Pune but most surprisingly, the spin duo of Ashwin and Jadeja has been out-bowled arguably for the first time in a home Test series ever since they began operating together from late 2012.

Amid all the odds stacked up against them, India's batters will also face a stern challenge on what has been in making, a spin-friendly pitch here at the Wankhede Stadium.

Ashwin and Jadeja after many years haven't looked menacing even on home soil. It won't be surprising if Axar Patel plays for India as his bowling is tailor-made for turners where batters struggle to decide whether to come forward or rock back.