India vs New Zealand, 3rd T20I: Match ends in a tie via DLS Method; Hardik Pandya & Co. win series

Chasing
a
target
of
161,
Indians
reached
75
for
the
loss
of
4
wickets
in
9
overs
before
the
skies
opened
up.
At
the
stoppage
of
play,
Hardik
Pandya
and
his
band
were
at
par
with
the
Duckworth
Lewis-Stern
method
but
as
no
play
was
possible
due
to
drizzle,
the
match
officials
called
it
off.

India
lost
openers
Ishan
Kishan
(11)
and
Rishabh
Pant
(11)
early
in
the
powerplay
as
Adam
Milne
and
Tim
Southee
struck
early
for
their
side.
Both
the
batters
threw
their
wickets
away.

Shreyas
Iyer
failed
to
make
a
mark
in
the
game
as
he
was
dismissed
for
a
golden
duck
by
getting
caught
at
slip
cordon
by
Jimmy
Neesham.

India
skipper
Hardik
Pandya
played
a
counter-attacking
knock
of
30
off
18
balls
and
helped
India
post
58
at
the
end
of
powerplay,
which
meant
the
visitors
were
six
runs
ahead
in
terms
of
the
DLS
par
score.

Suryakumar
Yadav
–
the
centurion
from
the
previous
game
–
scored
13
off
10
balls
before
he
was
dismissed
by
spinner
Ish
Sodhi
and
it
looked
like
his
team
was
in
a
spot
of
bother.

But
Hardik
along
with
Deepak
Hooda
(9*
off
9
balls)
shared
a
stand
of
15
runs
and
kept
their
team
at
par
with
the
DLS.

Earlier
in
the
day,
India
pacers
Mohammed
Siraj
and
Arshdeep
Singh
picked
up
four
wickets
each
and
shared
eight
wickets
between
them
as
India
bowled
New
Zealand
out
for
160.
The
match
began
after
a
delay
due
to
rain
and
New
Zealand
skipper
Tim
Southee
elected
to
bat
first.

The
hosts
at
one
stage
were
going
strong
at
130
for
two
in
the
16th
over
but
the
duo
of
Arshdeep
(4/37)
and
Siraj
(4/17)
led
a
remarkable
comeback
to
end
the
Kiwi
innings
with
two
balls
to
spare.
The
hosts
lost
eight
wickets
for
just
30
runs
after
Devon
Conway
(59
off
49
balls)
and
Glenn
Phillips
(54
off
33)
had
propped
up
their
innings.

India
got
their
first
breakthrough
when
Arshdeep
had
Finn
Allen
trapped
in
front
of
the
wicket
with
a
full
delivery
that
swung
in
from
around
the
middle.
Allen
thought
about
a
review
before
deciding
to
walk
back
as
the
ball
was
clearly
going
to
hit
the
stumps.

Veteran
Bhuvneshwar
Kumar
bowled
a
tight
third
over
before
Conway
decided
to
take
on
left-arm
seamer
Arshdeep,
carting
him
through
mid-wicket
for
a
four
before
lofting
the
bowler
over
extra
cover
for
a
six.
He
then
chipped
one
over
the
pacer’s
head
for
a
lovely
boundary.

The
fourth
over
yielded
19
runs
and
it
seemed
New
Zealand
were
on
their
way.
Bhuvneshwar
Kumar
conceded
14
runs
in
the
next
over
as
the
Kiwis
looked
to
end
the
powerplay,
their
weak
area
in
recent
times,
on
a
strong
note.

However,
a
bowling
change
put
paid
to
all
such
hopes
as
Siraj
dismissed
Mark
Chapman
for
a
run-a-ball
12.
Against
a
length
ball
on
middle
and
leg,
Chapman
got
a
leading
edge
while
trying
to
flick
and
Arshdeep
completed
the
catch
without
much
fuss,
ending
a
brief
but
brisk
partnership.

After
conceding
33
runs
in
two
overs,
the
Indian
bowlers
fought
back
strongly
to
concede
only
17
runs
in
the
next
four.

Conway
broke
the
shackles
with
a
boundary
off
Yuzvendra
Chahal
as
New
Zealand
reached
74
for
two
at
the
halfway
stage
of
their
innings.

In
a
subdued
start,
the
big-hitting
Phillips
found
a
couple
of
boundaries
before
hitting
Chahal
for
a
four
and
a
huge
six
off
successive
balls
to
help
his
team
go
past
100
in
the
13th
over.

Phillips
then
launched
himself
into
Bhuvenshwar,
smashing
a
four
and
a
monstrous
six
that
landed
on
the
roof
at
McLean
Park.

As
many
as
31
runs
came
from
over
number
12
and
13,
before
Phillips
smoked
Harshal
Patel
over
deep
square
leg
for
another
maximum.

However,
Phillips
got
a
top
edge
against
Siraj
and
Buvneshwar
took
the
catch
in
the
deep
in
what
was
a
massive
breakthrough
for
the
tourists.

Phillips’ dismissal
triggered
a
collapse
as
the
hosts
lost
their
remaining
wickets
for
very
little.

(With
PTI
inputs)