With the 1st T20I washed and India winning the 2nd T20I, hosts New Zealand would take on India in the 3rd T20I to save the series.
NZ vs IND 3rd T20I: Match Preview:
The Kiwi batting lineup disappointed heavily in the 2nd T20I, where they conceded a 65-run loss after being bowled out for just 126 runs. Captain Kane Williamson was the only batter who showed grit, scoring 61 runs off 52 balls with 4 fours & 2 sixes. Opener Devon Conway scored 25 runs off 22 balls while none of the other batters could play the aggressor with Williamson holding the other end, and eventually were bowled out for a meagre total.
The bowling was thrashed around the park in the 2nd T20I. Lockie Ferguson looked fiery with his pace as he grabbed two top order wickets, while Tim Southee when to pick up a hat trick in the 20th over when the Indians were just looking to slog the ball. Spinner Ish Sodhi managed a wicket, but none of the Kiwi bowlers had an economy of below 8 which could be a concern for the team going into the crucial final T20I.
#1 T20I batter Suryakumar rose in the 2nd T20I as he smashed his 2nd T20I ton, scoring 111 unbeaten runs off just 51 balls with 11 fours & 7 sixes. Suryakumar alone set up the game for India to win and make sure they don't lose the series. In an interesting move, lefties Rishabh Pant and Ishan Kishan were sent to open the innings, while SKY played at #3. Shreyas Iyer, batting at #4, smacked a boundary on his very first delivery and looked aggressive until he lost his wicket due to a hit wicket. With only one game played by these players, Sanju Samson is all but set to miss out on the 2nd T20I as well.
The bowlers did a nice job protecting the 192-run target. All-rounder Deepak Hooda, who hasn't been seen bowling much on the international stage, stood up to grab 4 lower middle order wickets, as he remained the highest wicket-taker for team India. Yuzvendra Chahal and Mohammed Siraj made good returns to the team with 2 wickets each while Bhuvneshwar Kumar picked up a wicket in the very first over of the innings. All-rounder Washington Sundar also managed an important wicket of opener Devon Conway.
