India

Incredible India fightback takes them to 4-0 as New Zealand lose another Super Over

India

Fifties from Colin Munro and Tim Seifert had put New Zealand in sight of a much-needed victory on Friday, 31 January, after falling behind in the series. They needed just 11 off the final two overs and had seven wickets in hand. But Navdeep Saini's penultimate over was a brilliant effort, allowing for only four runs.

With seven needed off the final over, bowled by Shardul Thakur, Ross Taylor skied one straight to long-on. Daryl Mitchell pumped the next ball for four, but an attempt to run a hasty bye off the third ball proved costly as the well-set Seifert was run out by wicket-keeper KL Rahul for 57. India remained sharp on the field as Daryl Mitchell was caught off another skyer, and Mitchell Santner was run out going for the second off the final ball, leaving the scores tied.

Seifert and Colin Munro got New Zealand to 13/1 in the Super Over, bowled by Jasprit Bumrah, with the help of two fours, but that was far from enough, even with Rohit Sharma, the Super Over hero from last match, rested. Rahul slammed a six and four off the first two balls, before pulling a Tim Southee short ball to deep mid-wicket, but Virat Kohli finished things off with a boundary, consigning New Zealand to their seventh Super Over defeat in eight attempts across formats.

It had all begun so well for New Zealand, who had restricted India to 165/8. At the heart of the effort was leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, who returned a remarkable 3/26. Only Manish Pandey's brilliant 36-ball 50* prevented a smaller total for India.

Sanju Samson, replacing the rested Rohit at the top, began with a six over long on off Scott Kuggeleijn, but fell for 8 when he tried to play a similar shot two balls later. Kohli fell soon after, when a ball from Hamish Bennett stopped on him to take his leading edge.

Ish Sodhi cashed in on the opening: First, he had Shreyas Iyer caught behind, then dismissed the in-form Rahul with a half-tracker, which the batsman pulled to Santner at deep mid-wicket, and finally had Shivam Dube caught at long-on for 12, reducing India to 84/5.

When Santner, who had taken three important catches already, cleaned up Washington Sundar for nought, India had slipped to 88/6. But Manish Pandey rebuilt superbly, with assistance from Thakur. They added 43 quick runs for the seventh wicket, before Pandey rallied the tail to reach his fifty in the final over.

In reply, India were disciplined until the final over of the Powerplay, when Thakur erred in his areas and Munro heaved him for a six over deep mid-wicket, a four over mid-off and another four to deep mid-wicket. Despite that onslaught, New Zealand only had 39/1 after six overs, but that burst helped the hosts break the shackles.

Munro and Seifert found the boundary at regular intervals, off quicks and spinners alike. Their partnership was worth 74 runs when a moment of brilliance from Kohli brought India back into the contest. Munro was attempting a hasty second run, but Thakur fired a flat throw to Kohli at mid-wicket. The India captain caught the ball, swivelled and fired an accurate throw at the stumps to catch Munro short for a 47-ball 64.

That breakthrough brought another wicket with debutant Tom Bruce, playing as a replacement for the injured Kane Williamson, bowled round his pads by Yuzvendra Chahal for a three-ball duck.

Seifert, though, struck two sixes in three balls to keep the chase on course. He enjoyed a bit of luck in the second of those as Saini was unable to hold on to a potential catch, instead parrying it over with the momentum. Bumrah, too, dropped a tough chance off his reverse sweep at short third man, as the batsman went on to post his second T20I fifty.

They needed just a run a ball in the last three overs, and seemed set for victory when things dramatically fell apart.

New Zealand will aim for a consolation victory in the final T20I in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, 2 February.