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3rd T20I: Rohit Prevails in Super Over, Helps India Clinch Series

Follow live updates from India vs New Zealand 3rd T20 international at Eden Park in Auckland.

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Rohit Sharma struck two sixes off the last two balls in the Super Over as India beat New Zealand in the third T20I at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Wednesday, 29 January.

Batting first, India had put up 179/5 before New Zealand were restricted to 179/6. Skipper Kane Williamson brought up his highest T20I score of 95 but a superb final over from Mohammed Shami made sure that the third T20I ended in a tie.

In the Super Over, New Zealand came out to bat first — skipper Kane Williamson was there in the middle with Martin Guptill. After two singles in the first two deliveries, the skipper dispatched Jasprit Bumrah for a six and a four. Later, Guptill smashed a boundary of the last ball to set India a target of 18 runs from 6 balls.

India were left to chase 10 off two deliveries when Rohit struck two towering sixes to seal the fate of the match.

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Earlier in the regulation 20 overs, Mohammed Shami bowled a brilliant last over - giving away 8 runs and taking 2 wickets. He dismissed Williamson and then Ross Taylor of the last ball of the match.

En route his 48-ball 95, Williamson smashed 8 fours and 6 sixes before getting out in the final over of the match. With this win, New Zealand keep the five-match series alive.

Hosts New Zealand, who needed to win the match to keep the series alive, were provided a good start by their openers — Martin Guptill and Colin Munro as they stitched a 47-run opening stand. But India pulled things back in time with two wickets in the span of just five balls to reduce the Kiwis to 52/2.

Guptill was the first one to go, substitute Sanju Samson taking a sharp catch near the square boundary off Shardul Thakur. He smashed 31 off 21 balls. In the very next over, Jadeja castled Munro (14 off 16 balls).
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Wrist-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal then ran through Mitchell Santner, cleaning him up with a straight one that rattled the stumps. All-rounder Colin de Grandhomme once failed with the bat before holding out to Shivam Dube off Shardul Thakur for 12-ball 5.

Earlier, opener Rohit Sharma (65 off 40 balls) brought up his 20th half-century in style as India reached 69/0 after six overs and were placed well at 92/1 after 10 overs. But after Rohit’s dismissal, the side failed to carry on the momentum as they were guilty of losing wickets at regular intervals.

Pacer Hamish Bennett, who gave away 27 runs in one of his overs, did well to finish the innings with three wickets for 54 runs.

Apart from Rohit, skipper Virat Kohli also played a handy 27-ball 37.

In a surprise move, rookie all-rounder Shivam Dube was sent in at number three instead of Kohli. But the move backfired as Dube fell for only 3 runs off 7 balls.
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New Zealand captain Kane Williamson had won the toss and elected to field. Having lost the first two games batting first, New Zealand seem to be keen to have a change in fortunes as well.

Coming into the match, Virat Kohli & Co held a 2-0 lead in the series having won the first two games in contrasting fashion. While they scaled a mammoth 204-run target in the first game at Eden Park in Auckland, they restricted the Kiwis to a below-par 132/5 in the second T20I at the very venue on Sunday.

While India did not tinker with their winning combination, New Zealand brought in Scott Kuggeleijn replacing Blair Tickner.

“We will bowl first. A new surface, hopefully, we will get something from it. Need to follow our plans, we are playing a strong side, a new ground, a new surface, do the job with the ball,” Williamson said.

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Kohli, too, said he would have preferred to bowl first.

“Toss isn’t in our control. Just put a clinical performance, carry forward the momentum and grab the chances that comes. Don’t worry about too many changes, just go out there and do the job.”
Virat Kohli

“No changes once again, the boys did a good job with both bat and ball, no need to make any changes at all,” Kohli said.

In both the matches, India have been powered by Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul’s strong show with the bat while the bowlers gained momentum in the second game after a dismal show in the first.

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Playing XI

India: Rohit Sharma, Lokesh Rahul(w), Virat Kohli(c), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal and Jasprit Bumrah

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson(c), Colin de Grandhomme, Ross Taylor, Tim Seifert(w), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Scott Kuggeleijn, Ish Sodhi and Hamish Bennett

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Topics:  Rohit Sharma    Virat Kohli    Shreyas Iyer 

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