Daryl Mitchell, India’s arch nemesis over the years, stood up when it mattered the most for his side. Down 0-2 in the series, and losing Seifert early, Daryl Mitchell came in and controlled the innings forward with his unbeaten swashbuckling 89 off 52 balls and was ably supported by Finn Allen who made 40 off 25 balls and Bevon-John Jacobs who made 39* off 23 balls. It was a mixed bag performance by Indian bowlers with Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel, and Nitish Kumar Reddy getting a wicket each.
India needs 199 runs to seal the series on a challenging track, but a decent one at that. This match can go either way.
New Zealand gets off to a solid start despite losing Tim Seifert early in the power play.Â
Put into bat first yet again, Tim Seifert and Finn Allen came out to open the batting for New Zealand while Bhuvneshwar Kumar had the ball in hand for India. Despite conceding a wide first up, Kumar bowled a tight first over. Arshdeep Singh shared the attack from the other end and he dismissed Seifert early for 2 off 6 balls as the batter played a poor shot and Axar took a good catch in the point region, a high ball. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next. He got off the mark soon. Allen survived a run out scare as the throw missed the stumps at the bowler’s end.
Kumar continued as Allen took him on as he stood tall and hit through the line over long-on down the ground for the maximum. Tilak Varma hurt himself in the field and went for left knee treatment off the field. Allen took on Kumar yet again as he clubbed the pull over midwicket for the maximum as the Kiwis were back on track now. Arshdeep continued and started with a couple of wide balls. Allen was hit on the helmet as a mandatory concussion check was done on him.
Mitchell cleared his front leg and tried to muscle it over midwicket but got a top edge to third man for a boundary. Mitchell then premeditated and shuffled across to scoop it over fine leg for another boundary. Prince Yadav came into the attack next. Allen took him on and got inside the line to whip it over deep square leg for the maximum. Yadav came back well to end the over properly.
Arshdeep continued for his third over and the last of the power play. Mitchell took him on straightaway as he picked the length early and pummeled it over deep square leg with a swivel for the maximum. Mitchell then cleared his front leg to smoke it down the ground for a boundary. Arshdeep gifted 4 leg byes as a gift to the batting side to end the over and power play. New Zealand were 58/1 in 6 overs with Mitchell unbeaten on 24 off 14 balls alongside Allen unbeaten on 24 off 16 balls as we entered the middle phase of the game.
Daryl Mitchell drives New Zealand forward despite India taking a couple of wickets in the middle phase.Â
Axar Patel came into the attack post the power play. Allen took on Axar by rocking back and pulling it over deep midwicket for the maximum. He completed 400 sixes in T20 cricket. Allen went again as he rocked back and muscled it over deep extra cover for the maximum. Prince continued as Mitchell took him on by shuffling across and getting underneath it to scoop it over the keeper and deep fine leg for the maximum. Mitchell was in the zone as he muscled the pull over deep square leg for the maximum and got to his 50th six vs India.
Nitish Kumar Reddy came into the attack next and broke the partnership as he dismissed Allen for 40 off 25 balls with 5 sixes to his name as Naman Dhir took the catch running in from long-on. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary with a guide between backward point and short third man. Axar changed ends as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 10 overs. At the completion of 10 overs at the halfway stage of the game, New Zealand were exactly 100/2.
We had a Drinks Break after which Nitish Kumar Reddy continued as Mitchell climbed onto him with a muscle down the ground for a boundary towards long-on before clearing his front leg and launching it over deep midwicket for the maximum. Mitchell reached his half-century in 26 balls. Axar continued as Phillips got onto the front foot and went inside out over extra cover for a boundary. Phillips was at it again as he clobbered it over extra covers for a boundary.
Axar came back and had the last laugh as he dismissed Phillips for 17 off 14 balls with 3 fours to his name as the batter chipped it back to the bowler with Axar taking a good reflex catch. Bevon-John Jacobs came out to bat next. Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned to the attack as Jacobs clubbed it off the front foot past mid-off with a straight bat for a boundary. Jacobs opened the bat face and drove it square past backward point for a boundary. Axar continued and bowled a decent last over to finish his spell.
Nitish Kumar Reddy returned to bowl the 15th over and bowled a tight one at that. New Zealand were 146/3 in 15 overs with Mitchell unbeaten on 62 off 36 balls alongside Jacobs unbeaten on 16 off 9 balls as we entered the death overs phase i.e. the final phase of the innings.
Daryl Mitchell & Bevon-John Jacobs power New Zealand to 198/3 in 20 overs.Â
Prince Yadav came back for another spell as the 150 came up for New Zealand in 15.5 overs. Mitchell then ramped Prince with a shuffle across towards the vacant fine leg region for a boundary. Arshdeep Singh returned for his final over as Jacobs swung hard to clear Tilak at long-off for the maximum. Bhuvneshwar returned for his final over and conceded a wide before Jacobs drilled it through extra cover for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the duo.
Nitish Kumar Reddy came back for his final over as Mitchell took him on and launched it over long-off for the maximum down the ground. Jacobs got into the act as he sliced it over point for a boundary. Prince Yadav came to bowl the final over of the innings. He bowled a decent last over with loads of twos in it in the context of the game. New Zealand finished with a competitive 198/3 in 20 overs with Mitchell unbeaten on 89 off 52 balls with 5 fours and 5 sixes to his name while Jacobs was unbeaten on 39 off 23 balls with 4 fours and one six to his name. 11 extras given by India.
India had a mixed back with the ball in hand. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/33 in 4 overs. Axar Patel finished with 1/36 in 4 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy finished with 1/38 in 4 overs. Bhuvneshwar Kumar went for 40 in 4 overs while Prince Yadav went for 44 in 4 overs. This means that the target for India is 199 runs to seal the series 3-0 with two games to spare at Wellington.
Who’s Winning, New Zealand or India?Â
We can say the game hangs in the balance as New Zealand have got the runs on the board and has given India around 200 to chase. Having said that, India did decently in the last 10 overs as the Kiwis were 100/2 in 10 overs and looked like getting maybe 210+. But India has to bat well to seal the series from here. This game can go either way. The bowling of New Zealand and fielding will be key.
Let’s see how the chase pans out from here.
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