Match Details

IND vs NZ 3rd Match, NZ vs IND 2021

team important image
NZ
111-1017.2
India won by 73 runs
IND
20.0184-7
team image
15th Over:
0
0
1
0
0
0
 
= 1
16th Over:
W
0
0
1
0
1
 
= 2
Last Over:
W
6
0
6
wd
1
1
 
= 15
This Over:
1
W
 
= 1

Player of the Match

Axar Patel Logo
Axar Patel Jersy
Axar Patel
India
3/9
2(4)
NZNZ - 2nd Innings
SessionOpenPASS
6 Over 5037
10 Over 6868
15 Over 11693
INDIND - 1st Innings
SessionOpenPASS
6 Over 5069
10 Over 10390
15 Over 129134
20 Over 187184

Commentary

All
Highlights
Overs
W
6s
4s
Inn 1
Inn 2
Milestone
So that's all for the coverage of this game. There are so many matches lined up for tomorrow. Do join us for the coverage. Till the next time, it's a ta-ta and a goodnight from me, Anurag Dasgupta and my co-commentators, Anurag Singh and Ninaad Dixit.
Captain Rohit Sharma lifts the trophy and the party begins in the Indian dressing room. Rohit hands the trophy to the newcomers. The debutants posing in front of the cameras.
Rohit Sharma is the Player of the Series: "It's important to start well whenever I have batted. Once you see the pitch, you know how to play on it. We had some plans as a batting unit that we wanted to try. It didn't come off well, but credit to the lower-order batters. The way Harshal bowled was amazing. It's not easy to bowl with wet ball. That was a quick plus for us. Moreover, KL's form is critical for us. The spinners did the job for us in the entire series. Axar and Ashwin and Chahal today who bowled really well.

Yes, I would prefer that going forward (Having a deep batting lineup). Teams around the world bat deep till number 8. Harshal when he plays for Haryana opens for them. And yes, Deepak Chahar, we all saw what he did in Sri Lanka. Chahal was looking forward to bat as well.

I've grown up playing on a concrete pitch back in the day. Opening isn't natural for me, but once I started doing it, things changed a lot for me."
Axar Patel is the man of the match: "Whenever I used to get hit, I used to bowl quicker but I look to vary my pace during practice and then work it according to the batter's mind during the match. There was some help from this wicket as the bowl was stopping a bit. So it was clear for me to bowl normally in the good areas and capitalize. I think it's one of my best year. I played good Tests, IPL went well back in India so I would like to take this confidence forward in the coming Test series. I picked up 27 wickets in a series and it's good for the confidence. It helps in reflecting what has worked for me in the past and what is to be done in the future games."
Mitchell Santner | "New Zealand captain: Tough to predict about how dew will behave. Credit to India for how they have played throughout the series. We were a little off today. We came up against a really good Indian side. I think the pressure they put on, especially Rohit and Rahul was immense. He is a great player for us (Williamson). With the schedule being quite tight, the World Cup and other series, it gives other guys an opportunity.

Different guys chipping in at different times was crucial for us. Chapman did it in the first game, Guptill performed well in this match. Every-time you play here, it's a different sort of an experience. It was challenging as a spinner. The second game was very wet. We don't get that kind of dew in New Zealand."
Time for the presentation ceremony
Rahul Dravid: "Really happy with the team's performance. Everyone played well throughout the series. It's a nice star, but we need to keep our feet on the ground. It's not easy for New Zealand to turn up after a World Cup final and playing three games in six days. We gave opportunities to guys who haven't played a lot in the recent months. We have great options going forward that we can mix and match. It is going to be a long season between now and the next World Cup."
Ishan Kishan: "Boult got me out in the World Cup, so I was ready for that ball. The coach and our captain asked me to keep things simple. They asked me to play my shots, and it was fine even if I got out in the process"
Harshal Patel: "My skillset won't change overnight and I've had success doing things that I do well. I try to do things which made me successful in the IPL. Execution is a big part of the slower deliveries. If you get it wrong, it'll sail over the ropes."
Yuzvendra Chahal and Venkatesh Iyer:  "Thanks a lot. I am in the team to bat and bowl so it's a good night (Iyer). In the first two overs, It was drifting down the leg-side initially, but I got the line right when the ball started to grip (Chahal). It's always a special thing to play for the country and I hope it continues for a long time. As a batter, I am always flexible to bat on any number. I am working on batting in the middle-overs outside the powerplay and I am gonna better that(Iyer). I was working on my googlies. It has helped me to confuse the batters, so I'm pretty happy with that (Chahal)."

Well, this was always on the cards. Once India posted in excess of 180, the morale in the New Zealand camp was at an all-time low and they crumbled under pressure. A comfortable 73-run win for Team India who have won all three matches in the series. A great start for Rahul Dravid, a great start for Rohit Sharma and a brilliant start to the new era for Team India. New Zealand played well in bits and pieces, but hardly gave any competition to the home side.

Chasing a tricky 185, New Zealand opening duo of Mitchell and Guptill came out all guns blazing and made their intentions pretty clear. There’s a reason as to why we say Rohit Sharma is a brilliant white-ball captain and he proved it once again today. Both the Kiwi openers were enjoying pace on bat, but the introduction of spin inside the power-play changed the course of this match.

Axar Patel got three quick wickets of Mitchell, Chapman and Phillips and turned the tides in India’s favour. But one man stood tall and gave nervy moments to the Indian fans. Martin Guptill looked like a man on a mission as he was unfazed by the things happening around him.

He played some exquisite shots under immense pressure to notch up yet another fifty in T20I cricket. But once he was foxed by Chahal for 51, NZ crumbled under pressure and lost wickets at regular intervals. 185 proved to be a mountain to climb as New Zealand looked clueless and were bundled out for just 111 on the board. This was a complete team performance and coach Rahul Dravid will surely be a happy man.

17.2 D Chahar to L Ferguson
W OUTT!! That is skied in the air and Deepak Chahar gobbles the catch on the follow-through to register an emphatic victory. India whitewash Kiwis in this three-match T20I series. Banged in short outside off to Ferguson who makes room to cut this over the point fielder ends up top edging it straight into the hands of the bowler.
17.1 D Chahar to T Boult
1 Nudges the length delivery angling into him towards the on side for a single.
OVER 17
New Zealand
110/9
Lockie Ferguson
14(7)
Trent Boult
1(1)
Harshal Patel
2-26(3.0)
16.6 H Patel to T Boult
1 A slower yorker on off to end the over, Boult taps it with soft hands towards long and will retain the strike with a single.
16.5 H Patel to L Ferguson
1 Short of a length onto Ferguson who pulls this along the ground to deep square leg for a single.
16.5 H Patel to L Ferguson
WD Now slides the length delivery down the leg side and he will have to re-bowl that.
Ninaad: This is the highest T20I score for Lockie Ferguson who had just a solitary run to his name in 15 matches before this one.
Commentary