IND vs NZ 3rd T20I in Napier ends in a tie after match is called off due to rain

The third T20I between India and New Zealand ended in a tie (D/L method) after the rain stopped play in Napier on Tuesday, November 22. Chasing 161, the Men in Blue were 75/4 after nine overs when no further play was possible. The D/L par score after nine overs was exactly 75, as a result of which the match was declared a tie.

Incidentally, a misfield from Mitchell Santner off the last ball of the ninth over allowed the Indian pair of Deepak Hooda (nine*) and Hardik Pandya (30* off 18) to cross over for a single. Had that run not been conceded, the hosts would have been declared winners.

In the end, though, Team India claimed the three-match series by virtue of winning the second match in Mount Maunganui on Sunday, November 20.

Chasing 161 in Napier, Team India got off to a poor start, losing three wickets inside the first three overs. Ishan Kishan (10) looked to take on Adam Milne, but only managed to find the fielder at deep square leg.

Rishabh Pant (11) smacked Tim Southee for consecutive fours but perished looking for a third. He slashed at a short-of-a-length delivery and sliced a catch to deep third man. Southee was on a hat-trick for the second time in as many games as Shreyas Iyer (0) awkwardly fended a short ball to slip.

Skipper Pandya, however, came in and went on an attacking spree. He slammed Milne for consecutive fours in the fourth over and followed it up with two more big hits in the next one bowled by Southee. The third delivery was pulled over deep midwicket for a maximum as Team India reached 50/3 after five overs.

Suryakumar joined the act by effortlessly lofting Lockie Ferguson over covers for a maximum in the last over of the powerplay. Pandya could have been out caught in the over as he played inside the line of a back-of-a-length delivery. Barring the bowler, there was no appeal from New Zealand and the Indian captain survived.

The Kiwis, however, stayed in the hunt as Suryakumar (13) whipped Ish Sodhi straight to deep midwicket. India were 75/4 after nine overs when it started pelting down, bringing a premature end to an exciting contest.

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Siraj, Arshdeep four-fers restrict New Zealand to 160

Earlier, Mohammed Siraj (4/17) and Arshdeep Singh (4/37) came up with excellent bowling performances as Team India bowled out the Kiwis for 160 in 19.4 overs after losing the toss.

A third-wicket stand of 86 between Devon Conway (59 off 49) and Glenn Phillips (54 off 33) put New Zealand in a good position to push for a competitive total. However, the hosts stumbled once the partnership was broken, losing eight wickets for just 30 runs.

After rain delayed the start of the third T20I, Arshdeep got the early breakthrough for India, trapping Finn Allen (three) lbw with a full swinging delivery. Conway took on the left-arm seamer and smacked him for 4,6,4 off consecutive deliveries in the fourth over.

Mark Chapman (12), coming in for Kane Williamson, hit a couple of impressive boundaries before skying an attempted flick off Siraj, only managing a leading edge.

Conway and Phillips then featured in a solid stand as New Zealand reached 74/2 at the halfway stage. The latter took on Yuzvendra Chahal in the 13th over and smashed him for four and six off consecutive deliveries as the Kiwis raced past 100.

While Conway was more sedate of the two, Phillips reached his half-century by whipping Harshal Patel for a six over deep square leg. The threatening stand was broken in the 16th over when Phillips top-edged a pull off Siraj. Conway perished in the next over to Arshdeep, picking out the fielder deep midwicket.

Siraj then dismissed James Neesham (0) and Santner (one) in the 18th over to finish with a four-fer - his career-best T20I figures. While Neesham top-edged a length ball, Santner sliced a short delivery to cover. Arshdeep sent back Daryl Mitchell (10) and Sodhi (0) off consecutive deliveries in the penultimate over.

Mitchell gloved a short one to the keeper, while Sodhi was knocked over by a yorker. It was a team hat-trick for India as Milne (0) was run-out by Siraj's direct hit from backward point. Harshal Patel brought the innings to a close by cleaning up Southee (six) with a slower ball.

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India vs New Zealand 2022: Who was Player of the Match in 3rd T20I?

Siraj and Arshdeep were brilliant with the ball, claiming four scalps each. But while the latter proved a bit expensive, Siraj gave away only 17 runs in his four overs.

For New Zealand, Phillips and Conway struck fifties, while skipper Southee claimed the wickets of Pant and Iyer.

Siraj was named Player of the Match for his excellent four-fer, which stifled the Kiwis.