India vs New Zealand 3rd T20: India beat visitors by 6 runs to clinch series 2-1

That is it then! The India-New Zealand series has ended, not surprisingly, shall I say, more exciting and entertaining than the India-Australia one. Both teams were at each other throughout and it was really fascinating to see the better team win. India now get ready to host Sri Lanka for a full series from 16th of November, 2017 from Kolkata while New Zealand head back home to play the Windies. More and more cricket coming up in the next few days. So take a break, get refreshed and come back energetic! Adios! Take care!

VIRAT KOHLI says that he was very happy to get a game eventually. Thanks the crowd for waiting so patiently. On the batting, he says that India always expected New Zealand to give a good fight and he was nervous once the first two wickets fell but then praises his bowlers for bowling well. On the tactic of bowling his best bowlers early, he says that it is not crucial to stop runs only towards the end. Sometimes a few boundaries here and there could hurt your plans. Credits Rohit and Dhoni for coming up with the suggestion and is happier that Bhuvi and Bumrah stepped up. On the last over, he says he was nervous when Hardik got hit as there was no one else to bowl and he might have had to. Thanks the crowd once again for their nice behaviour and patience.

JASPRIT BUMRAH is the Man Of The Match and the Man Of The Series. Says that India's basic plan was to bowl slower deliveries and take the pace off the wicket. Adds that the Kiwis were great with their slower balls but the Indians' slower ones were not gripping as effectively. Hence, the plan shifted to bowling back of a length. On bowling the high-pressure 7th over, Bumrah says that he was not thinking too much and only focussed on bowling every ball.

KANE WILLIAMSON smiles and credits the groundstaff for getting some cricket in. Feels that it is very tough to decide what will be a good score on a new surface which was also tricky. Is happy with the way the series panned out, going close in both formats. Praises Sodhi but also the other bowlers for not letting India get away. Also feels the home side played smart cricket and that is why one needs to be at his best to challenge the Indians. Goes to the extent of saying that India are perhaps the best team in the world because they challenge everyone. On his own team, he is proud of his bunch. It is a group of youngsters who he feels have the potential to go a long way in the future.

A word now on India's bowling. How good were they? Brilliant is an understatement. Bumrah set the tone, with 2/9 while Chahal went only for 8 in his 2. The others were not bad but these were a notch higher. Earlier, the Kiwis did well to keep India to 67 but perhaps an expensive Sodhi was the difference between the two teams tonight. Stay tuned for the presentation...

RAVI SHASTRI says that everyone was tensed in the dugout and the dressing room as one over can tilt the balance. Feels that India saved their best for the last in the field and heaps praise on Rohit and Hardik. In the innings break, he says that India were confident with the score. After losing a couple of wickets early, he says that the Indian batsmen revised their target to 65 because the ball was coming on slowly. Agrees that it was a great decision by Kohli to bowl Bhuvi upfront and even better to give Bumrah the second-last over because many times games are lost by the time we get to the last over. On Bumrah, he says that it is not just his skills but his thinking is excellent. Ends the conversation by saying this win is very sweet as it was against a very good side. Believes that this New Zealand side can go places in the table in the future.

YUZVENDRA CHAHAL feels that the wicket was suited to the bowlers as it was slow and spinning. So he stuck to bowling back of a length and outside off. Says that in shortened games, one needs to handle the pressure. Credits his experience in the Indian domestic league matches for doing well tonight. Praises his captain for going to him in any situation and says that he calculates accordingly what lengths to bowl to the batsmen.

HARDIK PANDYA says that his hand is okay now but he will feel the pain after a while. Says that he came to know in the 7th over that he would be bowling the final over as they were finding it difficult to play the fast bowlers than the spinners. So he was preparing from the 5th over itself. On the final over, he says that he just backed himself and kept his cool.

A little bit of initiation came in the fourth over when Bhuvi was hit for consecutive boundaries but in the 5th, India struck twice. With 32 needed from 18 balls, big hits were needed but those were very few. Some last-minute drama in the final over did give the Black Caps some hope but eventually the better side prevailed.

Chasing 68, the Kiwis might have targetted the Powerplay and the two 'B's - Bumrah and Bhuvneshwar. But they did not let the visitors settle down at all. Kumar removed Guptill in the first over while Bumrah provided the body blow by removing the centurion from the previous game, Munro. The Kiwis were pegged back pretty early, scoring just 11 in the Powerplay.

Great scenes all around. Let us all heave a sigh of relief. For the first 150 minutes, there were sighs of disappointment as to whether we will have a game. And then eventually, when we did have a match, it was a brilliant one.

H Pandya to M Santner, INDIA WIN BY 6 RUNS! Hardik finishes it off nicely. A short ball outside off, Mitchell slashes hard but gets an outside edge over point. Only a single. A fantastic contest even though marred by rain. But it made for a good match.

H Pandya to M Santner, That is the game then. Unless we see something very funny. A length ball around off and outside off, Santner swings but miscues it towards long on. So bad is the timing that the ball does not even carry to Virat Kohli at the fence. The batsmen come back for the second. The crowd is happy. Kohli pumps his fists. Yet another series to his name. 8 needed off the final ball now...

H Pandya to de Grandhomme, Just what India needed. CdG can only pull this to deep mid-wicket for a single which means Santner has to take New Zealand home now.

H Pandya to de Grandhomme, WIDE! A slower ball gone wrong now! It is a deliberate short ball outside off, thinking that it will be slapped but a smart Colin lets it go. 10 from 3 now...

H Pandya to de Grandhomme, SIX! BANG! That has gone into orbit! A short ball, around off, de Grandhomme pulls this miles over mid-wicket! 11 needed from 3 now!

Trouble! Has Hardik hurt himself? The physio has come and now he is going as well. Pandya is fit to bowl. The crowd roars.

H Pandya to de Grandhomme, DROPPED! But has he hurt his finger? Full and outside off, de Grandhomme smashes it straight back. Hardik puts out his hand for the catch as an act of reflex but the ball bursts through his hand. A single taken. Hardik is in pain.

H Pandya to M Santner, Action replay of the previous delivery. A slower ball, outside off, Santner swings but misses. They take the bye, MS misses his shy.

HARDIK PANDYA to bowl the last over of the innings, match and series. On whom is the pressure?

J Bumrah to M Santner, A slower ball again, outside off, Santner swings but misses. They take a bye as MS misses his shy at the striker's end. 19 needed from the final over!

MITCHELL SANTNER walks in at number 8, replacing Bruce.

J Bumrah to Tom Bruce, OUT! Bruce is gone! A comedy of errors. It is a wide ball and Bruce attempts the reverse paddle but misses. They go for the bye and Dhoni misses his shy at the striker's end. Now Bumrah tries at his end but misses as well. Bruce collides with the bowler, then dives onto the stumps, then gets back. De Grandhomme is straightaway coming back for the second but Bruce cannot beat the throw coming in from long on. It is referred upstairs as Dhoni takes the bails off. Gone by a mile. But why wasn't that a wide? The ball was well outside the wide guideline.

Another run out appeal. This time... Bruce might be a goner!

J Bumrah to de Grandhomme, SAFE. A slower ball outside off, de Grandhomme looks to go over point but misses. The batsmen take a bye again and Dhoni throws it to the bowler who misses his shy at his end. The ball goes down the ground and de Grandhomme wants the second but is sent back. The throw comes in to Bumrah again who disturbs the bails and appeals. It is referred upstairs but replays show the dive has saved Colin.

A run out appeal now. Is de Grandhomme safe?

J Bumrah to Tom Bruce, WIDE! And a single taken. This perhaps slipped out of the hand, miles down the leg side. Bruce tries to pull but misses. Dhoni dives to his left and saves the boundary but the batsmen take a bye.

J Bumrah to Tom Bruce, FOUR! Yeah... that is what happens when you miss the yorker. It turns into a full toss and Bruce is waiting for it. Gets slightly across and flicks it through backward square leg. Fine leg starts to run to his left but then gives it up.

J Bumrah to de Grandhomme, Full toss in line of the stumps, chopped to point for a single.

TOM BRUCE is now in at number 7, replacing Nicholls.

J Bumrah to H Nicholls, OUT! Good running catch! The death bowler brings the game to life again. The ball is full and outside leg, perhaps might have been left alone, but Nicholls gets down and attempts the paddle scoop. Not a safe option with fine leg at the fence. The ball lobs off the top edge. Shreyas Iyer spots the ball and comes running in. For all his fielding throughout the series, this is a fairly difficult chance. But he takes it. Heaves a sigh of relief. 29 NEEDED FROM 11 BALLS.

Kohli and MS having a chat. Who bowls the last 2? Chahal comes in to have a participation but does not say a word. Oh... Kohli spots him and asks him his opinion. Now Chahal points to someone. Meanwhile, Kuldeep comes on to bowl. Wait. MS says Bumrah is a better option. And... it will be... the best death bowler perhaps in this age... JASPRIT BUMRAH to bowl the penultimate over.

Y Chahal to H Nicholls, Short and outside off, crashed through the covers but only for a single to the man at sweeper. Just 3 runs from the over. Chahal finishes with figures of 2-0-8-0.

Y Chahal to H Nicholls, Gets across his sticks and Chahal bowls it flatter and wider outside off. Nicholls swings but misses. A dot ball again!

Y Chahal to de Grandhomme, Flatter outside off, this time CdG connects but only for a single through the covers.

Y Chahal to de Grandhomme, Beaten again! Looped up outside off, Colin looks to go for the expansive cover drive now but is beaten by the exaggerated turn.

Y Chahal to de Grandhomme, That stays a bit low, de Grandhomme looks to drive it through the covers but is beaten by the turn and lack of bounce.

Y Chahal to H Nicholls, Full and outside off, punched through the covers for a single.

YUZVENDRA CHAHAL is bowling out now.

K Yadav to de Grandhomme, SIX! AUDACIOUS! Full again, outside off, de Grandhomme makes full use of his reach, gets to the pitch of the ball and swings this over mid-wicket for a flat six! 10 runs, 2 wickets. Kuldeep has done what the doctor ordered.

K Yadav to de Grandhomme, Full and outside off, driven through the covers for a couple.

HENRY NICHOLLS walks in at number 6, replacing Phillips.

K Yadav to G Phillips, OUT! Two in two! The Kiwis might say bye-bye to the number 1 T20I ranking now. A full ball around off, Phillips gets down and mows this over mid-wicket. For a second, it seems like he has connected well. But near the ropes, Shikhar Dhawan, as cool as a cucumber, takes the catch as easy as it gets. Then does a Kabaddi high-five to the dugout behind. India on a hat-trick.

COLIN DE GRANDHOMME walks in at number 5, replacing his skipper.

K Yadav to K Williamson, DIRECT HIT! Williamson is a goner! Hardik Pandya is the man. He is known to be the one with the golden arm and this time his throwing arm has done the trick. Flighted around off, Williamson comes down the track and looks to whip but skews it off the inner half towards short mid-wicket. He sets off for the single. Hardik Pandya stops the ball, takes aim and shoots at the non-striker's end. Williamson gives up. The ball hits the stumps and boy, that is a terrific fielding effort.

K Yadav to G Phillips, Pushes this towards long on and gets only a run.

K Yadav to K Williamson, Full and outside off, driven towards long off for a single.

Kuldeep Yadav is into the attack.

B Kumar to G Phillips, Shorter in length on middle, Phillips slogs blindly but gets beaten. 10 runs from the over, just what New Zealand wanted.

B Kumar to G Phillips, FOUR! Edgy but Glenn won't mind! Fuller in length outside off, Phillips goes after it but gets an outside edge past short third man for a boundary.

B Kumar to G Phillips, FOUR! He pierces the gap to perfection! A much-needed one. Length ball by Kumar on middle, Phillips lofts it in the gap between deep mid-wicket and long on for a boundary.

B Kumar to G Phillips, Full and wide outside off, Phillips tries to go after it but gets beaten. Dot balls are gold at the moment.

B Kumar to K Williamson, Shorter in length outside off, Kane pulls it uppishly, just out of the reach of the bowler and down towards long off for a run.

B Kumar to K Williamson, Shorter in length around middle, Williamson heaves it towards mid-wicket. He completes one and sets off for a second and completes it but the umpire signals one short at the non-striker's end. So just one run off the delivery.

Bhuvneshwar Kumar is back into the attack.

Y Chahal to G Phillips, Drags his length back and pulls it through square leg. The fielder there fumbles and concedes two.

Y Chahal to G Phillips, Shorter in length outside off, spins away. Glenn cuts it towards covers. Virat Kohli there dives to his right and makes a good stop.

Y Chahal to K Williamson, MISFIELD! Short and outside off, Williamson punches this back to the bowler who lets it through! A single taken.

Y Chahal to K Williamson, NEARLY! This is the slider, KW does not read it at all and looks to force it through the off side. All he manages is an inside edge which goes onto his pads. Could have nearly hit the stumps.

Y Chahal to K Williamson, Wide outside off, Kane reaches out and steers it through the covers for a couple.