India New Zealand T20 International Series 3rd Match Played at Hamilton.
India 179/5 ( Rohit Sharma 65, Virat Kohli 38,HK Bennet 3/54 ) beat New Zealand 179/6 ( K Williamson 95, SN Thakur 2/21, Mohammad Sami 2/32). Match Tied
Super Over: New Zealand 17 /0, India 20/0
Player of the Match: Rohit Sharma
All round Team India is looking invincible now in all formats. Yesterday from a seemingly losing position India shocked host New Zealand winning the tied T20 match in super over. Rollicking Rohit Sharma blasted back to back over boundaries in snatching the match from the jaws of the home team. This win won India confirming yet another T20 series (3-1) with another match to play. In the 4th match of the 5 matches T20 series played on a sluggish is and small ground of Hamilton India managed to score 179/5 in the allotted oves. A brilliant aggressive innings of Captain Williamson (95 in only 48 deliveries) led home side tying the match (179/6). New Zealand scored 17 in the super over bowled by Bumrah. Till the 3rd ball of Southee over home team, looked like winning. But two back to back sixes by Rohit snatched the match taking India to impregnable position for winning the series. World cricket witnessed a mouth watering contest.
India winning the first two matches were in commanding position in the series with 2-0 lead. The 3rd match was do or die for the home side. India batting first on a sluggish wicket where ball was gripping and turning India raced to 94/2 by the 11th over mainly due to a very enterprising65 in 40 deliveries. New Zealand came back strongly with precise bowling and razor sharp restricted flamboyant Indian middle order. Still champion Kohli blasted 38 off 27 deliveries to post a challenging target of 180 for the home team.
New Zealand response was featured by aggressive batting of Guptill from the outset keeping pace with the asking rate. But Munro struggled. Once Munro got out captain Williamson appeared on a mission. Playing to the best of his ability. Though Indian spinners taking advantage of the slow wicket strangled all other batsman but Williamson played an innings of exceptional quality and class. His 48 balls 95 put home team on the road to victory. New Zealand required scoring two runs in three deliveries. Sami bowled an exceptional over. He cleaned up Taylor with the final ball of the match with match tied at 179.
In the super over Guptill and Williamson managed scoring 17 in the super over of Bumrah. Rohit and Rahul could not score much in the first three balls of Southee. But blaster Rohit struck back to back sixes snatching the match out of the grasp of the home team. India reached impregnable position of 3-1 in the series with one match to spare.
India looks an invincible at this moment in all formats of cricket with so many options in batting and bowling. They only need to sharpen their fielding to compete with Australia, England and title aspirants of the T20 world cup.
BDST: 1305 HRS, JAN 30, 2020
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