India Lose By 4 Runs, New Zealand Take T20I Series 2-1

New Zealand denied India a perfect finish to their highly successful tour Down Under by clinching the T20I series 2-1 with a four-run win in the third and final match at Hamilton on Sunday.

India savoured a historic Test and ODI bilateral series win in Australia before recording their biggest ODI series win on New Zealand soil.

A first-ever T20 series win would have been icing on the cake but the hosts held their nerves to pull off a thrilling victory. With Sunday's result, India have lost their first T20 series after winning nine and drawing one.

India needed to knock off a stiff 213-run target to bring curtains on a memorable three-month tour in a befitting manner but fell just short.

Exploiting batting-friendly conditions at the small Seddon Park ground, New Zealand cut the Indian attack to shreds to post an imposing 212 for four. Opener Colin Munro produced a 40-ball 72 and shared a 80-run stand with fellow opener Tim Seifert (43) to lay the foundation for a big score.

India needed 16 runs off the final over and Dinesh Karthik (33 not out off 16) after taking a double off the first ball, stunned the crowd and his teammates by refusing to take a single in the third ball. Krunal (26 not out off 30) had reached the striker's end but Karthik did not run, sending his partner back.

This was after umpire did not give a clear wide bowled by Tim Southee.

Karthik could only manage a single off the next ball as Southee bowled a straight ball. By then, the match had clearly slipped out of India's hands. Both Karthik and Krunal did exceedingly well to take the game into the final over but their unbeaten 63-run stand off 28 balls did not prove to be enough.

INDIA INNINGS; TARGET - 213

2 off the first ball in the last over as Dinesh Karthik picked Tim Southee's straight delivery. Then Karthik moved the line, thus forcing the umpire to not give a wide. He didn't run. A single. 13 off 2. Krunal hit the next ball straight and it hit the stumps. A wide, above the head. 11 off 1. A six, but India lost by four runs. And so thus the series.

Brief Score:

212 for 4 in 20 overs (Colin Munro 72, Tim Seifert 43; Kuldeep Yadav 2/26). India 208 for 6 in 20 overs (Karthik 33 not out, Rohit 38, Shankar 43; Santer 3/32).

India need 16 off the last over. A 14-run penultimate over somehow gave India the hope.

MS Dhoni also gone (2 off 4). But Dinesh Karthik is keeping the Indian hunt alive. He is unbeaten on 16 off 8. India need another 49 off 18.

India in deep trouble. Lost both Rohit Sharma (38 off 32) and Hardik Pandya (21 off 11)in a space of six balls. MS Dhoni and Murali Karthik were unbeaten. India were 145/5 after 15 overs.

Rishabh Pant departed after making 28 off 12 balls. Caught at mid-wicket by Kane Williamson off Tickner. Hardik Pandya joined his skipper.

India were 128/3 after 13 overs. Need another 85 from 42 balls.

India lost Vijay Shankar (43 off 28), who was looking in an ominous form. After 10 overs, India were 108/2 with Rohit Sharma (29 off 22) and Rishabh Pant (23 off 6).

57/1 in the powerplay for India. Rohit Sharma (22 off 14) and Vijay Shankar (24 off 18) have added 51 off 31 balls as India got off to a good start. Nop six yet in the innings, but both the batsmen have played some silky drives and flicks.

India lost Shikhar Dhawan (5 off 4)in the very first over, caught by a brilliant Daryl Mitchell at deep square leg, off Mitchell Santner. FoW - 6/1 (0.5). Vijay Shankar has since joined skipper Rohit Sharma. India were 18/1 after two overs.

NEW ZEALAND INNINGS

Kiwis finished the innings on a strong note with Ross Taylor hitting Khaleel Ahmed for a four off the last ball. He remained unbeaten on 14 off seven for a 19-run stand with Daryl Mitchell (19 off 11). New Zealand - 212/4.

India will need more than a 10 an over from the start.

Khaleel Ahmed got the prized wicket of Kane Williamson (27 off 21), FoW - 150/3 (14.4); but the Kiwis continued to push for a big total. The hosts were 182/3 after 17 overs. Colin de Grandhome and Daryl Mitchell were unbeaten on 26 and 7.

Another wicket for Kuldeep Yadav. Had Colin Munro (76 off 40) caught at long-on by Hardik Pandya. FoW - 135/2 (13.2).

Kiwis were 140/2 after 14 overs. Kane Williamson and Colin de Grandhomme were unbeaten on 17 and 3 respectively.

Fifty for Colin Munro with a six off Krunal Pandya. He took 27 balls. After 11 overs, Kiwis were 110/1. Meanwhile, MS Dhoni almost pulled off another stumping. against Kane Williamson.

Kuldeep Yadav struck first over, thanks to yet another MS Dhoni stumping. No one will survive that. Tim Seifert (43 off 25), FoW 80/1 (7.4).

But the Kiwis have got off to a brilliant start. Colin Munro (36 off 21) is joined by Kane Williamson.

Ordinary start from Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Khaleel Ahmed. Bhuvi has leaked 14 runs from his two overs, while Ahmed has conceded eight from his one over. It was good over from Bhuvi in the third though. Only three runs. New Zealand were 22/0 after three overs (Colin Munro 10 off 7; Tim Seifert 11 off 11).

Meanwhile, Indian women lost the third T20 despite Smriti Mandhana's 86 to suffer a 0-3 series whitewash. Read report Here.

Kiwis also made one change. Debut for Blair Tickner. The right-arm medium fast bowler replaced Lockie Ferguson.

New Zealand: Tim Seifert (wk), Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Daryl Mitchell, Ross Taylor, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Scott Kuggeleijn, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Blair Tickner

TOSS:  Rohit Sharma won the toss, and India will bowl first. And India made one change, Kuldeep Yadav in for Yuzvendra Chahal.

The 2018-19 tour Down Under will be remembered as one Indian cricket's most successful sojourns. Virat Kohli led the team to their maiden Test and ODI series wins in Australia.

It was followed by their biggest ODI series win, 4-1, in New Zealand. After helping India take an unassailable 3-0 lead, Kohli was granted 'leave', thus leaving the captaincy responsibility to Rohit Sharma.

India then suffered a big defeat, before ending the ODI series on a high.

But it was followed by yet another humiliating defeat in the first T20I. But as 'great' teams do, they hit back in the second match to keep the series alive.

Now, after almost three months, the tour comes to its finale with India on the cusp of winning their first ever T20I series in New Zealand.