Tim Seifert came out all guns blazing and gave New Zealand the flying start in the powerplay. Tim Seifert played without fear and tore apart the Indians in the powerplay overs and was ably supported by Devon Conway who played his part while others chipped in as well as New Zealand through Daryl Mitchell’s finish got to a massive 215/7 in 20 overs on a flat track.
India had a mixed day with the ball with Arshdeep Singh picking up 2 wickets and so did Kuldeep Yadav while Jaspirt Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi picked up one wicket each. Harshit Rana went the distance. New Zealand will be the happier side at the interval although India pulled things back in the middle overs with wickets that made sure India finish with 215 and not 230-240.
Tim Seifert gives New Zealand a flying start in powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Devon Conway and Tim Seifert came out to bat for New Zealand while Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for India. Seifert started things off nicely as he hit a boundary via a leading edge over short third man. Seifert then hammered the bowler down the ground for a boundary past mid-off and got a leading edge again that flew over short third man for a boundary. Harshit Rana took the ball from the other end.
Seifert took on Rana and lofted him over long-on for the maximum down the ground. Seifert hit another boundary this time over covers for a boundary. Arshdeep continued and bowled a better over. Rana continued as Seifert took the attack to him by smashing a maximum over Kuldeep at long-on and then through mid-off and extra cover for a boundary. Conway then joined in the fun as he delicately lapped it down to the fine leg fence for a boundary.
Jasprit Bumrah came into the attack next. Seifert launched him straight over the bowler’s head for the maximum. The 50 came up and of the partnership in 4.3 overs. Ravi Bishnoi came into the attack to bowl the final over of powerplay. Conway hit Bishnoi for a boundary through deep midwicket to get to 7000 T20 runs. Conway once again cut the bowler past the diving point fielder for a boundary. Then he launched Ravi with a slog sweep over deep midwicket for the maximum.
New Zealand were 71/0 in 6 overs at the end of the powerplay and off to a fantastic start with Seifert unbeaten on 46 off 21 balls while Devon Conway was unbeaten on 24 off 15 balls.
India hit back with regular wickets to peg New Zealand back a little bit in middle overs.Â
Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack at the end of the powerplay. Conway took him on by going down on one knee and slog sweeping it to deep midwicket region for the maximum. Bishnoi continued as Seifert reached his 13th fifty in just 25 balls. Seifert then hit Bishnoi by swinging his bat across the line and got the inside edge to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Conway then thrashed Bishnoi through the extra cover region for a boundary.
Kuldeep continued as Conway slog swept down on one knee over deep backward square leg for the maximum as New Zealand brought up their 100 in 8.1 overs and off the partnership as well. Kuldeep finally provided the breakthrough for India as he removed the good looking Devon Conway for 44 off 23 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he sliced it away to deep extra cover fielder where Rinku Singh took the catch. Rachin Ravindra came out to bat next.
He got off the mark soon while Seifert completed 2000 runs across formats for New Zealand. Bumrah came back into the attack and removed Ravindra for 2 off 4 balls as the batter chipped it back to the bowler. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next as Drinks was taken at this stage. Phillips got off the mark with a boundary with a thick outside edge that ran away to the third man fence for a boundary.
Kuldeep continued as Seifert smashed the ball to the leg side with a slog sweep to the deep square leg region for a boundary. Bishnoi returned to the attack as Phillips went down on one knee and scooped it to the fine leg fence for a boundary. Phillips then hit Bishnoi for a boundary through extra cover region where Hardik Pandya had no chance. Arshdeep returned to the attack and picked the big wicket of Seifert as he was holed out to the running long-off fielder as Rinku picked another catch.
Mark Chapman came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Kuldeep continued as Phillips smacked him down the ground for the maximum and completed 100 T20I sixes. Kuldeep had the last laugh as he removed Phillips for 24 off 16 balls with 3 fours and one six to his name as Rinku took another catch running at long-on. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Rana came back into the attack as Chapman hit him down the ground over Mitchell’s head for a boundary towards long-on. Mitchell then was not done yet as he launched Harshit over long-on down the ground for the maximum as the 150 came up for New Zealand. New Zealand reached 152/4 in 15 overs with Mitchell on 8* off 4 balls and Chapman unbeaten on 9 off 7 balls.
Late flourish led by Daryl Mitchell powers New Zealand to a massive 215/7.Â
Ravi Bishnoi came onto bowl his final over and removed Chapman for 9 off 8 balls with one boundary to his name as Rana took the catch at deep square leg. Mitchell Santner came out to bat next. Santner got off the mark with a boundary by smashing it between deep point and covers for a boundary. Then he smashed Bishnoi down the ground for the maximum over long-off. Bumrah came back into the attack as Santner ran himself out for 11 off 6 balls with one four and one six to his name by Hardik Pandya.
Zak Foulkes came out to bat next and got a brace to get himself going. India burnt a review against Mitchell for caught behind. Arshdeep came to bowl his final over. Foulkes hit the full toss and hit it between mid-off and extra cover for a boundary. Foulkes then slammed Arshdeep over deep midwicket for the maximum. But the speedster hit back as he removed Foulkes for 13 off 6 balls with one four and one six to his name as he was holed out to Rinku again who took it easily. Matt Henry came out to bat next with two overs to play with.
Bumrah bowled the 19th over as Mitchell smashed it away by pulling it in front of square for a boundary. Mitchell then cleared deep midwicket for the maximum. Henry hit a boundary as well as he threw his bat and the outside edge went away down to the third man fence. New Zealand brought up their 200 in 19 overs. Harshit Rana came to bowl the final over of the innings as Mitchell went high and handsome down the ground over long-on for the maximum.
Mitchell hit the last ball of the innings for a boundary by playing the upper cut at deep third man for a boundary to end the innings as New Zealand ended with 215/7 in 20 overs. Daryl Mitchell remained unbeaten on 39 off 18 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes to his name while Matt Henry remained unbeaten on 6 off 3 balls with one four to his name as New Zealand finished with a massive score. 5 extras given by Indian bowlers.
It was a tough day for the Indian bowlers. Arshdeep Singh was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 2/33 in 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav bowled well for his 2/39 in 4 overs. Jasprit Bumrah finished with 1/38 in 4 overs. Ravi Bishnoi finished with 1/49 in 4 overs. Harshit Rana finished with 0/54 in 4 overs. No usage of Hardik Pandya by India tonight. This means that India will need 216 to win the contest off 20 overs to take a 4-0 lead in 5-match series.
Who’s Winning, India or New Zealand?Â
New Zealand have got the runs on the board at 215/7. India have a batter less tonight with no Ishan Kishan playing. The pitch might be flat and dew is around which gives India hope. But New Zealand will be hungry and desperate to win this game from here. This game can go either way but at this stage slight edge to New Zealand for having the runs on the board.
Let’s see how the chase unfolds and can India make a match out of this.
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