New Zealand denied India a perfect finish to the latter’s highly successful tour down under by clinching the T20I series 2-1 with a narrow four-run win in the series-deciding third match here Sunday.
With Sunday’s result, India has lost its first T20 series after winning nine and drawing one.
India needed to knock off a stiff 213-run target to bring curtains on a memorable three-month tour in a befitting manner but fell just short.
Exploiting batting-friendly conditions at the small Seddon Park ground, New Zealand cut the Indian attack to shreds to post an imposing 212 for four. Opener Colin Munro produced a 40-ball 72 and shared an 80-run stand with fellow-opener Tim Seifert (43) to lay the foundation for a big score.
Krunal Pandya was the most expensive of the Indian bowlers, bleeding 54 runs in his four-over quota. If it was not for left-arm chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav’s (two for 26) tight bowling in the middle-overs, India would have got a bigger target to chase.
India captain Rohit Sharma made an uncharacteristic 32-ball 38 and it also hurt India’s chances. Vijay Shankar (43 off 28) played a useful knock at the top after Shikhar Dhawan (5) fell early.
Infusing life
Rishabh Pant (28 off 12) and Hardik Pandya (21, 11b) infused some life into India’s chase with some brutal hitting but perished while trying to keep up with a steep asking rate. M.S. Dhoni (2) also could not do much.
India needed 16 runs off the final over and Dinesh Karthik (33 n.o., 16b), after taking a double off the first ball, stunned the crowd and his teammates by refusing to run a single off the third ball. Krunal (26 n.o., 13b) had reached the striker’s end but Karthik did not run, sending his partner back.
This was after umpire did not give a clear wide bowled by Tim Southee.
Karthik could only manage a single off the next ball as Southee bowled a straight ball. By then, the match had slipped out of India’s hands. Both Karthik and Krunal did exceedingly well to take the game into the final over but their unbeaten 63-run stand off 28 balls did not prove to be enough.
New Zealand bowlers fared much better than India, consistently hitting the short-of-length, which proved to be key on this small ground.The runs came at a steady rate with just an odd boundary coming in between.
Pant changed the pace of Indian innings with his scintillating batting beforedebutant Blair Tickner dismissed him. and Hardik too began and ended his innings in the same fashion.
Earlier, Bhuvneshwar was hit for a six by Munro in his first over but the pacer responded with splendid block-hole deliveries in the next over.
The pressure of dot balls prompted Seifert to go for a big hit but he edged it towards the third man region where Vijay Shankar made a valiant effort but he could just touch the ball.
It was a tough chance but Seifert, who was on 11, got a reprieve.
The Kiwis did keep a very healthy run-rate, racing to 50 in just 5.2 overs when Munro heaved one off Krunal for a huge six and followed it up with a boundary on the off side. Krunal leaked 20 runs in that over.
Seifert, who paddle swept both pacers and spinners with ease, lofted Hardik for a six over long-off.
Lightning quick
Indian bowlers had conceded 79 runs in the first seven overs when Rohit brought Kuldeep and the leg-spinner straight away got Seifert stumped with Dhoni’s lightning-quick hands at work.
Munro kept going strong as he hammered Krunal for a six to raise the team’s 100 in the 11th over.
Scoreboard
New Zealand Innings: Tim Seifert st Dhoni b Kuldeep 43; Colin Munro c Hardik b Kuldeep 72; Kane Williamson c Kuldeep b Khaleel 27; Colin de Grandhomme c Dhoni b Bhuvneshwar 30; Daryl Mitchell not out 19; Ross Taylor not out 14. Extras: (LB-4 W-3) 7
Total: (For 4 wickts from 20 overs) 212
Fall of Wickets: 1/80, 2/135, 3/150, 4/193
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 4-0-37-1, Khaleel Ahmed 4-0-47-1, Hardik Pandya 4-0-44-0, Krunal Pandya 4-0-54-0, Kuldeep Yadav 4-0-26-2
India Innings: Shikhar Dhawan c Mitchell b Santner 5; Rohit Sharma c Seifert b Mitchell 38; Vijay Shankar c de Grandhomme b Santner 43; Rishabh Pant c Williamson b Tickner 28; Hardik Pandya c Williamson b Kuggeleijn 21; Mahendra Singh Dhoni c Southee b Mitchell 2; Dinesh Karthik not out 33; Krunal Pandya not out 26. Extras: (LB-1, W-11) 12
Total: (for 6 wickets in 20 overs) 208
Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-81, 3-121, 4-141, 5-145, 6-145
Bowling: Mitchell Santner 3-0-32-2, Tim Southee 4-0-47-0, Scott Kuggeleijn 4-0-37-1, Blair Tickner 4-0-34-1, Ish Sodhi 2-0-30-0, Daryl Mitchell 3-0-27-2
