India won the T20I series against New Zealand with a single win in the series. The third and final T20I match at the McLean Park stadium ended in a tie as the rain stopped the play in the second innings. Chasing a score of 161 set by New Zealand, India was 75/4 at the end of nine overs when rain made an entry. Eventually, the Duckworth-Lewis method was put in charge which calculated the par score to be 75. India’s score exactly matched the D/L score, leading the India vs New Zealand clash towards a draw result.
The first match of the series, scheduled at the Sky Stadium, Wellington was abandoned without a ball bowled due to rain. The second match at Bay Oval despite some rain hit a conclusion as India clinched their biggest away win over New Zealand. Suryakumar Yadav mesmerized everyone as he set the Bay Oval ablaze with his knock of 111 off 49. India won the match by 65 runs, seizing their first win in the series.
Also Read: Report: BCCI Mandates Split Captaincy, Ready to Appoint Hardik Pandya As India’s T20I Skipper
And now, the third and final India vs New Zealand clash has ended up in a tie. The chase at Napier wasn’t sailing smoothly for India as they lost 3 opening wickets in the first three overs. Openers Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant couldn’t manage to give an ideal start to the chase walking off quite quickly. Next man in proved no better, as Shreyas Iyer got out on a duck with a catch in the slip. Star of the last match, Suryakumar Yadav got out on 13 in this match. However, skipper Pandya led the Indian charge anchoring the Indian innings.
Eventually, Pandya along with Deepak Hooda stood their ground until rain played the spoilsport. Pandya was batting on 30*(18) and Hooda was 9* as the duo stole a single of the last allowed bowl. The last run came on a misfield by Mitchel Santner. Turns out, the misfield by Santner cost the whole match to New Zealand as India’s score matched exactly to that of the DLS par score.
In the first innings, Mohammad Siraj turned out to be the main man with the ball for India. Siraj delivered a spell of 4/17 in the first innings. Alongside, pace prodigy Arshdeep Singh bowled a spectacular spell of his own scalping 4 wickets and giving off just 37 runs. Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips set a partnership of 86 to push the New Zealand score to a fighting total. Eventually, the Indian bowling attack bowled out the hosts in the last over at 160 runs. Mohammad Siraj, in turn, received the Player of the Match title for his first innings spell of 4/17.
