NewDelhi: After clinching back-to-back victories against New Zealand, the Virat Kohli-led India will look to continue their winning momentum and clinch the five-match T20I series when they take on the Black Caps in the third match at the Seddon Park in Hamilton on Wednesday.
On Sunday, the Indian bowlers restricted New Zealand to 132 /5 before opener KL Rahul (57) and Shreyas Iyer (44) shone with the bat to help India chase down the target with 15 balls to spare and seal a seven-wicket in the second T20I.
The win saw India go 2-0 up in the five-match series. The Men in Blue won the opening T20I by six wickets at Eden Gardens in Auckland.
The visitors will now look to continue their momentum and clinch the series with two games to spare.
New Zealand, on the other hand, will look to shrug off their two defeats and come up with a much-improved performance in all the three departments of the game in the third T20I in order to stay alive in the series.
Shivam Dube is the new batsman in!
WICKET!! Colin de Grandhomme gave a breakthrough to New Zealand by removing opener KL Rahul for 27. The India batsman was taken at point by Colin Munro on the last ball of the ninth over. India 89/1 (9 overs)
Meanwhile, opener Rohit Sharma has now become the first cricketer from the country to notch up 50 runs within the powerplay.
Ish Sodhi was called into the attack and he conceded eight runs in it. KL Rahul (25) whacked the last ball of the 7th over down the ground to pick up four runs. India 77/0 (7 overs)
A quite expensive over from Hamish Bennett as he conceded 27 runs to the Men in Blue. Rohit Sharma (50) smashed the New Zealand bowler for two boundaries and three sixes to also bring up a half-century off just 36 balls. Meanwhile, the visitors have also crossed the 50- run mark after being asked to bat first. India 69/0 (6 overs)
16 runs off the last two overs. Rohit Sharma (42) pulled back four runs off the second delivery of the fourth over before he smashed the first ball of the fifth over into the gap between backward and cover-point for another boundary. India 42/0 (5 overs)
Nine runs off the last over. Rahul (14) lifted the third delivery of the third over by Tim Southee up and over the keeper to notch up four runs. India 26/0 (3 overs)
Hamish Bennett came to bowl the second over and he conceded 13 runs in it. KL Rahul (8) got off the mark by flicking the first ball to point for a single before he hammered the third delivery towards the third man for a maximum. India 17/0 (2 overs)
Hamish Bennett to share the new ball!
Four runs off the very first over. Rohit Sharma (4) got off the mark by smashing the third delivery of the first over away behind the point fielder for a boundary. India 4/0 (1 over)
Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul have walked down the crease to open India’s innings. Tim Southee to begin the proceedings for New Zealand.
Lineups:
New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (capt), Colin de Grandhomme, Ross Taylor, Tim Seifert (wk), Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Hamish Bennett, Scott Kuggeleijn.
India: Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul (wk), Virat Kohli (capt), Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, Shardul Thakur, Yuzvendra Chahal, Mohammed Shami, Jasprit Bumrah.
India are going with an unchanged Playing XI in the match, while Scott Kuggeleijn has been called up by New Zealand as a replacement for Blair Tickner.
New Zealand win toss, opt to bowl first against India in 3rd T20I.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply