India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I Highlights: The match was held in Kolkata. (Twitter/ICC)India vs New Zealand 3rd T20I Highlights: India beat New Zealand by 73 runs in the third and final T20I to win the three-match series 3-0 at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.
After opting to bat, Rohit Sharma struck 56 off 31 balls while Ishan Kishan made 29 off 21 balls as India posted 184/7. Martin Guptill’s 51 off 36 balls went in vain as New Zealand could only manage 111-all out in 17.2 overs. Left-arm spinner Axar Patel was the pick of the Indian bowlers with three wickets.
Brief Scores: India: 184/7 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 56; Mitchell Santner 3/27); New Zealand: 111-all out in 17.2 overs (Martin Guptill 51; Axar Patel 3/9).
Match EndedNew Zealand tour of India, 2021 - 3rd T20I
India
184/7 (20.0)vs
New Zealand
111 (17.2)Match Ended ( Day - 3rd T20I )
India beat New Zealand by 73 runs
India beat New Zealand by 73 runs
Live Blog
India will aim to press the reset button under new captain Rohit Sharma and an illustrious head coach in Rahul Dravid.(Twitter)
India win by 73 runs! After he got the crowd on their feet with two sixes against Harshal, Ferguson fails to do it for a third time. He lifts the ball high and Chahar completes the caught and bowled. Clean sweep! NZ: 111-all out (17.2 overs)
Despite Sodhi's two boundaries against Chahar, New Zealand are unable to mount a late fightback as Venkatesh scalps his first wicket of the night. Milne (7) miscues a slower ball and it's an easy catch for Rohit. NZ: 93/8 (15.1 overs)
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The wickets keep on falling! Santner tries to keep the run-counter going in hope of a revival but he fails to do so. Ishan's accurate throw at the stumps sends him back to the hut on 2. India are in complete control now. NZ: 84/7 (13.1 overs)
After Seifert's (17) runout in the previous over, India add to the pain of the visitors even more. Harshal scalps his first wicket of the night as he gets Neesham (3) caught behind. Pant with a confident diving catch! NZ: 76/6 (12.3 overs)
A big wicket! Chahal removes the dangerous Guptill on 51. Yadav with the important catch. NZ: 69/4 (10.3 overs)
Suryakumar Yadav lofting spin over extra cover is one of the rare classical sights in T20. He is so good at it that it’s almost like he does it for fun. He does it with the turn, he does it against the turn. He often clears the boundary with ease, and rarely does he not place it wide of the sweeper. At times, though, your strength can possess your ego and bring you down.
Mitchell Santner was tossing it up and finding some turn. Suryakumar had just come in, and wanted to get off the mark in signature style. He was done in the air and off the pitch, however, and sliced the ball inches short of point. That only egged him into I’ll-show-you mode, and he repeated the shot next ball. He’d nailed the direction this time, but had found no elevation. Martin Guptill at extra cover happily accepted the gift.
A momentum boosting over for the Kiwis! Chahar, who impressed with the bat earlier on, fails to put the batters under pressure again as Guptill (47*)and Seifert (9*) take him to the cleaners. 16 runs off the over. NZ: 61/3 (9 overs)
Sitting in the dugout, Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid would be wondering how it all went wrong. From 90 off 10 overs, India was 162/7 with just 9 balls to go. Dravid would have slight hopes as Deepak Chahar was at the crease. Earlier this year, Dravid was in-charge of the India white ball team that went to Sri Lanka. Chahar had played the innings of his life and helped India score an unlikely win. He reminded everyone that it wasn't a fluke and the world better start seeing him as a useful lower-order batsman, if not an all-rounder. He scored 21 from 8 balls. His one six off Milne reminded you of tennis on high-bounce hard courts. Short ball on the off-stump and Chahar made room, swung the bat ferociously and swatted it over the bowler's head for a six. Chahar on the crease had shades of Djokovic on the baseline. Among those impressed was Sourav Ganguly. He would give the full view of the beaming smile by removing the mask hanging on his chin. Meanwhile, Rohit, from the dugout, would acknowledge the audacious shot with a salute. The fly on the dugout roof couldn't confirm but it is likely Dravid would have said: "Didn't I tell you, he can bat?"
Guptill (32*) and Seifert (0*) remain in the middle at the end of the powerplay after Axar wreaked havoc early on. The former does keep on playing his shots as he slams a short ball by Bhuvneshwar over cover for a six. NZ: 37/3 (6 overs)
In the final over of the first power play, Rohit Sharma hit a couple of fours and of his trademark jaw-dropping "off the hips" six. Among those impressed were the thousands at Eden Gardens, the Indian dug-out and the non-striker Ishan Kishan. The rookie wicket-keeper has seen his perpetual captain - Kishan plays for Mumbai Indians - plays these shots every other day but still he was shaking his head in disbelief. There was a shade of embarrassment too. It was Kishan who was to play the role of a "see the ball, hit ball" opener but Rohit, with a far superior strike-rate, was doing the job. At the end of the over, he would be an inquisitive student asking Rohit questions. He seemed curious about Lockie Ferguson's "back of the hand" ball, using his gloved hands to show the ball release. New Zealand, in the next over, would change the pace of the game. They would introduce spin. From Ferguson's hitting the deck variety, it would now be Mitchell Santner's left-arm spin. More surprise, Ferguson would start with an armer, Kishan would miss the ball. Another armer the next ball and the young opener would nick it behind the stumps. It's like you prepare for Math but the teacher gives you an English test.
Another one! Axar bags his third wicket of the night by cleaning up Phillips on a four-ball duck. NZ: 30/3 (4.4 overs)
Gone! A tosssed up delivery by Axar and Mitchell (5) looks to play a lofted drive. But the batter mistimes it towards cover-point where Harshal settles under the skier well. Chapman (0) comes on and gets stumped by Pant! NZ: 22/2 (3 overs)
Chahar comes into the attack and he is immediately sent to the cleaners by the batters! Mitchell (5*) hits a four on the second ball and then Guptill (16*) adds to the misery with a six and a four. He gets dropped later. NZ: 21/0 (2 overs)
Martin Guptill and Daryl Mitchell open the chase for New Zealand as Bhuvneshwar Kumar opens the attack. Guptill provides a good start by hitting a four through cover. Five runs off the first over of the second innings. NZ: 5/0 (1 over)
“Glenn Phillips’ dual unbelievable saves” is a much-viewed video clip from last month’s IPL game between Mumbai Indians and Rajasthan Royals. Just as one from Ishan Kishan’s edge is about to touch the third-man rope, Phillips comes sprawling across the screen, having run from at least deep point. He squeezes past an advancing Chetan Sakariya – who has to vault over him -- palms the ball away, and recovers before Sakariya can, to fire back the throw. Phillips bats, keeps wicket, bowls off-spin and is sharp in the ring. But his acrobatics in the deep regularly make highlight reels.
At Eden Gardens, Kishan was at the other end as Rohit Sharma tucked away what seemed like another four. Only for the turbo-charged Phillips to hare across to deep midwicket. Phillips crashed into the rope and the ball was following him there, but he changed direction instantly, and from an almost horizontal position, goal-kicked the ball to an infielder. Another one added to those unbelievable saves.
Chahar (21*) goes berserk! Two boundaries in the opening two balls of the final over by Milne and then a humongous 95-metre six helps India post a formidable score in the end. 19 runs off the over. A brilliant finish! IND: 184/7 (20 overs)
Harshal (18) rocks back in the crease for a shot but hits his own bails! Ferguson with the scalp. IND: 162/7 (18.3 overs)
After Shreyas' dismissal by Milne, Harshal takes some responsibility on his shoulders. He smacks Milne's shortish ball for a four and then takes on Boult in the next over. A misfield at deep point gets him another four. IND: 156/6 (18 overs)