India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I at Thiruvananthapuram: A superb last over from Pandya under the circumstances. Conceded a six off De Grandhomme, but that was expected with 19 needed off the last over. Six runs from the rest of the over. India win the series by 6 runs and win the series 2-1. Preview: With series levelled at 1-1, India and New Zealand will aim to outplay each other in the third and final Twenty20 International match to seal the series at the Greenfield International Stadium here on Tuesday. But the spectators might not witness full 20-overs each side because the series decider here is under rain threat. The meteorological office here has also predicted that the weather will be generally cloudy with a few spells of rain or thundershowers starting from Sunday till Wednesday. [caption id=“attachment_4193219” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]
India captain Virat Kohli and New Zealand captain Kane Williamson. Agencies[/caption] Apart from this, it will be a thrilling contest between the two team which are evenly matches on the paper as well as on the field. To clinch the series, India have to display a better show in both batting and bowling department while New Zealand would like to continue with the same momentum. India, comprehensive beat the visitors in the first match at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium in Delhi. In the second match, New Zealand bounced back in style and defeated India by 40 runs. Opting to bat first on winning the toss, the visitors rode on an unbeaten quickfire century by opener Colin Munro to post 196/2 in their allotted 20 overs. Munro batted through the innings, smashing 109 runs off 58 deliveries. In reply, the hosts could only manage to post 156/7. So, in order to beat the visitors, Indian batsmen have to click this time. The middle-order batsmen like Shreyas Iyer, Manendra Singh Dhoni, Hardik Pandya have to click in unison. The bowling department was also seemed struggling on the flat pitch. Apart from pacer Jasprit Bumrah, no other bowlers troubled the batsmen in the previous match. Spinners also failed to step up to the occasion and were smashed all around the park. But, in the decider, the gloomy conditions and pitch might favour India. India skipper Virat Kohli also have to make the plan for the Duckworth Lewis method which might come in the play. New Zealand, on the other hand, displayed a brilliant performance. There only problem is the consistency. In the first match New Zealand were outplayed in every department of the game and in the second match they grouped together and showed their class. So, in order to seal the deal this time they have to repeat the same performance. The fans might see a interesting battle between both the teams if India and New Zealand played as per the expectations. Squads India: Virat Kohli (Captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul, Manish Pandey, Shreyas Iyer, Dinesh Karthik, MS Dhoni (WK), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj. New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Mitchell Santner, Ish Sodhi, Tim Southee, Ross Taylor, Trent Boult, Tom Bruce, Colin de Grandhomme, Martin Guptill, Matt Henry, Tom Latham, Henry Nicholls, Adam Milne, Colin Munro, Glenn Phillips (wk).
Highlights, India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I at Thiruvananthapuram, cricket result: Hosts prevail by 6 runs; win series
A superb last over from Pandya under the circumstances. Conceded a six off De Grandhomme, but that was expected with 19 needed off the last over. Six runs from the rest of the over. India win the series by 6 runs and win the series 2-1.
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After New Zealand squaring the series in Rajkot, the series was decided in the last few balls as hosts turned out to be the superior side in the end. A great specatcle for the large crowds that had come in.They were made to wait long, first to get an international match and later by the rain gods, but it ended well for the fans who saw the home team lift the trophy in front of them.
As always New Zealand arrived, competeted along with entertaining the audiences with gritty performances. The young team will only move forward.
Speaking of which the cricket fans won’t have to wait long as there another series that awaits us as neighbours Sri Lanka come for a relatively long tour onto the Indian shores, starting with 3-Test matches.
The first to be played at the Eden Gardens on the November 16. We will be bringing you all the coverage and action from the Tests, as we move to white clothing and red-ball cricket. Like always was pleasure to bring you another eventful series, look forward for your company ahead, untill then it is adios.
Watch our man on the ground Devdutt Kshirsagar review India’s hard-fought T20I series win over New Zealand live from outside the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram.
Ishant enjoyed it!
India in bilateral T20I series deciders:
v Sri Lanka, Visakhapatnam, 2016 (won)
v Zimbabwe, Harare, 2016 (won)
v England, Bangalore, 2017 (won)
v New Zealand, Thiruvananthapuram, 2017 (won)
No.1 team knocked down to achieve a series win
Indians reveled under pressure with margin of error very thin
A glorious chance squandered, the Kiwis must feel the pain within
The bowlers did the job but batsmen committed the original sin
Never let the panic set in, say the experts with a grin
7.1: Pandya bowls short of a length. A swing and a miss, but the Kiwis steal a single.
7.2: Full from Pandya. Hit straight back by de Grandhomme. A caught and bowled chance technically, but a very hard chance. No run. Pandya seems to have hurt his hand in the process of trying to catch that ball.
7:3 Pandya bowls length. De Grandhomme hammers him for a six.
7:4 Pandya varies his pace well. Swing and a miss. Wide called though.
7.4: De Grandhomme hits one behind square le. One run.
7.5: Pandya to Santner. Hit to long on. Two runs.
7.6: Santner slashes one towards third man. One run. Not enough for the Kiwis.
India win by 6 runs and take the T20I series 2-1.
After 7 overs,New Zealand 49/6 ( Colin de Grandhomme 10 , Mitchell Santner 0)
Bumrah proves once again why he is a master of the death overs. A wicket of the first ball. The first ball is full. Nichols sweeps, gets a top edge and is caught at fine leg. Tom Bruce in the crease. Bumrah gets his line wrong and his clipped away for a four. Good changes of pace by Bumrah in this over. The batsmen are finding it difficult to connect. The Kiwis run on an overthrow and a throw at the striker’s end catches Bruce short of his crease. 10 runs from that over. 19 needed off the last over.
OUT! Bruce is run out. Running on an overthrow hurts the Kiwis bad.
Bruce run out (M Pandey/Dhoni) 4(2) [4s-1]
Hardik gets a stunning run out, Dhawan’s catch was pretty neat,
Kiwis have stuttered, India’s plan seems pretty concrete
Kuldeep and Chahal have further turned up the heat
With 29 needed from 12, India seem to be in driver’s seat!
After 6 overs,New Zealand 39/4 ( Colin de Grandhomme 9 , Henry Nicholls 2)
Chahal bowls the sixth over. A very economical one. Could be game-changing under the current scenario. Only three runs conceded. 29 runs off the last two overs.
After 5 overs,New Zealand 36/4 ( Colin de Grandhomme 8 , Henry Nicholls 0)
Kuldeep introduced into the attack. A fine piece of fielding by Pandya gets rid of Williamson. Phillips then holes out to Dhawan in the deep. Henry Nichols and De Grandhomme are the two new batsmen at the crease. But De Grandhomme gets a flat six off the last ball. Some respite for the Kiwis.
OUT! Phillips skies one from Kuldeep and gets caught by Dhawan at deep mid wicket.
Glenn Phillips c Dhawan b Kuldeep Yadav 11(9) [4s-2]
OUT! Williamson falls prey to a direct hit from Hardik Pandya at mid wicket.
Williamson run out (Hardik Pandya) 8(10)
After 4 overs,New Zealand 26/2 ( Kane Williamson (C) 7 , Glenn Phillips (W) 10)
Bhuvi comes into to bowl. The Kiwis run two to mid wicket off the first ball, but Williamson had run one short. A swing and a miss off the third ball. Good pace variations by Bhuvi. Phillips gets two consecutive boundaries next, the first a lofted shot to wide long on and the second a fortuitous one between slip and the wicket keeper. Gets beaten off the last ball.
Guptill gone, suddenly in the stands there is a zing
When Bhuvi is on song you are entitled to a fling
Bumrah joins the party, Ah! isn’t he fast becoming the pace king?
It’s a joy to watch this pair – Bow down to the Masters of swing and seam!