Player of the Match
Player of the Match

10.55pm Wow Hardik Pandya was quite scathing on the pitches for the first two T20Is. He called this one a "shocker". We, however, got a terrific entertainer even though it wasn't the regular high-scoring T20 game. Even in the team, not everyone will agree this was a shocker. Washington Sundar said two out of 10 matches should be such low-scorers. A lot to debate from the decider in Ahmedabad then. Until then, goodbye from Chandan, Hemant and me. See you soon.

10.52pm Suryakumar Yadadv is the Player of the Match. "A different version of SKY today," he says. "Adapting to the situation was very important. After losing Washy, I had to make sure I batted till the end. It was my mistake, I didn't see where the ball went. Of course it was a challenging wicket, but you have to be able to adapt. We just needed one hit in the end, and it was very important to calm ourselves down. Before I got the winning runs, Hardik came up to me and told me you will hit the winning runs this ball. That gave me a lot of confidence."

10.50pm "I always believed we will finish the game," says Hardik Pandya. "It went quite deep, but that is how it is. These kind of games, it is important to not panic. Rather than taking risks, we rotated the strike. having said that, this is a shocker of a pitch. We need to make sure we have better pitches. Even 120 would have been a winning total here. We kept to our plans, we made sure they will not rotate the strike, and the wickets kept falling. Dew didn't play much of a role because if you see they were able to spin the ball more than us. It was a shocker of a wicket. The ball was flying for even the fast bowlers."

10.46pm "It was a great game of cricket," says Mitchell Santner. "We bowled well, got really close, another 10-15 runs would have helped. With the bounce out there, it looked quite challenging. When you are batting, you are not too sure what a good score. We were looking at 140-160 when 120 would have been a good score."

10.32pm "All of us were on our toes," Washington Sundar says. "I am sure everyone watching would have been on their toes. This has been very very exciting. Two-three games like this out of every 10-11 games would be amazing. It was very important for Surya to stay till the end that's why I sacrificed my wicket."

10.28pm What a finish. A lot of credit to New Zealand for defending so well in the dew, but as it turned out, India's bowlers did just enough for them to scrape through to the series leveller. It was a difficult pitch to bat on because with the turn available, it is not easy to place the ball. And when you try to force the issue, you take a big risk. That is exactly what happened. Arshdeep Singh's last two overs assume such a great significance. Well done by India to back him in a must-win match. On a pitch that both sides' part-time spinners bowled their complete allotment, Arshdeep bowled two overs at the death for just seven runs. Not a single six in the match.

19.5
4
Tickner to Yadav, FOUR, oh just enough on it. New Zealand have defended this valiantly, but Yadav gets the winning shot in with one ball to go. Tickner stays with the plan of bowling short outside off with the field set for it. SKY now slaps it down the ground, and has enough behind it to clear the leaping mid-off

Two off two. Field set for the short ball outside off again

Kiran Kadam: "SKY struggling in a T20 match.. I have seen it all"

19.4
1
Tickner to Pandya, 1 run, short again, wide again, and he has pulled this to mid-on for a risky single. He has given up, but Allen's attempt at the direct hit misses
19.3
1
Tickner to Yadav, 1 run, hit hard back at him, and he is dropped. One of the few shots that Yadav has timed out of the crews, and it gets to Tickner even before he can get his hand up in his follow-through

The conditions are so wet that Tickner is having to get the grass out of his spikes. A run a ball for the Super Over

19.2
0
Tickner to Yadav, no run, and bowls the bouncer as expected. Yadav looks to ramp it and is beaten by the bounce. Good job he has not connected because this shot looks directed straight at the deep third

Deep third being that straight suggests he will go short. Mid-on and mid-off are up

19.1
1
Tickner to Pandya, 1 run, superb field placement. Pandya gets a thick edge on a big cut shot, but the deep third is very fine, and keeps them down to one

Run a ball required. Tickner to bowl the over. His first over of the night

END OF OVER:
19 | 7 Runs | IND: 94/4 (6 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 4.94, RRR: 6.00)

  • Hardik Pandya13 (18b)
  • Suryakumar Yadav21 (28b)
  • Lockie Ferguson1-0-7-0
  • Mitchell Santner4-0-20-0
18.6
1
Ferguson to Pandya, 1 run, another mix-up but no run-out this time. Pandya gloves this attempted pull over the keeper's head, wants the second, but is sent back by Surya. Again it is Pandya's call but Yadav overrules it. Pandya is running to the danger end. He should be deciding
18.5
4
Ferguson to Pandya, FOUR, that will be heartbreaking for NZ, and will lift India's spirits. Quick, on a length, but a touch too straight, and Pandya whips it away square on the leg side, bisecting the two deep fielders. First boundary in 46 balls

This has been a superb over so far

18.4
1
Ferguson to Yadav, 1 run, nails the yorker, Yadav digs it out for a single to long-on
18.3
0
Ferguson to Yadav, no run, SKY premeditates a big hit into the leg side, but this is short-of-a-length and wide, and seams away upon pitching to beat him
18.2
1
Ferguson to Pandya, 1 run, quick again, Pandya's bottom hand comes off but he manages to push this wide of Ferguson for one
18.1
0
Ferguson to Pandya, no run, pace. Beats him. Short fo a length, 141ks, holds its line against the angle. Beats Pandya's defence

Ferguson has the ball. Long chat between him, Santner, Conway and Mitchell. He prefers the legcutter to the offcutter

END OF OVER:
18 | 5 Runs | IND: 87/4 (13 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 4.83, RRR: 6.50)

  • Hardik Pandya7 (14b)
  • Suryakumar Yadav20 (26b)
  • Mitchell Santner4-0-20-0
  • Mark Chapman1-0-4-0

All specialist spinners done. Thirteen required off the last two. Big decision. Do they bowl Chapman again? Which of the three seamers bowl?

17.6
1
Santner to Pandya, 1 run, slightly short of a length, worked to deep midwicket for one
17.5
0
Santner to Pandya, no run, stays back to a length ball, and is beaten by the sharp turn
17.4
1
Santner to Yadav, 1 run, quicker, on a length, middle and leg, turns away, pushed to long-off for one
17.3
1
Santner to Pandya, 1 run, this is a slow low full toss if Pandya plays down the ground, but instead ends up yorking himself on the sweep. Gets just a single
17.2
1
Santner to Yadav, 1 run, slow through the air, turns sharply from a good length, cut away to deep cover-point for one
17.1
1
Santner to Pandya, 1 run, short of a length, pretty straight, pulled to wide long-on for one

Santner to bowl out now

END OF OVER:
17 | 5 Runs | IND: 82/4 (18 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 4.82, RRR: 6.00)

  • Suryakumar Yadav18 (24b)
  • Hardik Pandya4 (10b)
  • Mark Chapman1-0-4-0
  • Ish Sodhi4-0-24-1

Exactly a run a ball required in the last three overs

16.6
2
Chapman to Yadav, 2 runs, another full toss, hit along the ground, but this time he has placed it wide of long-on to come back for two
16.5
1
Chapman to Pandya, 1 run, slightly short, but it turns to defeat his attempt at a big hit. He has to play the pull down for a single
16.4
1
Chapman to Yadav, 1 run, low full toss, toe-ends a sweep straight to the sweeper on the leg side
16.3
1lb
Chapman to Pandya, 1 leg bye, and this one doesn't turn. Hits the pad, and they get a leg-bye
16.2
0
Chapman to Pandya, no run, oh it is turning for him. On a length, on leg, and then straightens against the angle to hit his pad
16.1
0
Chapman to Pandya, no run, and he starts with a dot. Now it is a run a ball. Full, on off, played back to him

Wow this is interesting. Santner is gambling on Mark Chapman's left-arm spin

END OF OVER:
16 | 4 Runs | IND: 77/4 (23 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 4.81, RRR: 5.75)

  • Hardik Pandya3 (6b)
  • Suryakumar Yadav15 (22b)
  • Ish Sodhi4-0-24-1
  • Glenn Phillips4-0-17-0

Into the death overs we go. Just under a run a ball required. Santner has one over left. The other three will have to be bowled by the seamers

15.6
1
Sodhi to Pandya, 1 run, again on the money, pushed wide of cover this time for a single
15.5
0
Sodhi to Pandya, no run, lovely legbreak, on a length, just outside off. Can't go back, can't drive. Defended

India 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st17Ishan KishanShubman Gill
2nd29RA TripathiIshan Kishan
3rd4SA YadavRA Tripathi
4th20SA YadavWashington Sundar
5th31SA YadavHH Pandya