Match

India won by 6 wkts

• New Zealand: 198/3 (20 overs)
• India: 199/4 (13.2 overs)

New Zealand - 198/3 (20 overs)

Extras: 11

India - 199/4 (13.2 overs)

Extras: 13

Commentary

• India have taken an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series, and credit must go to their mental and physical resilience. Having been on the road for a while, they played the first T20I against New Zealand just four days after wrapping up their home series against West Indies. To come here and win the first three games is a testament to their strength and consistency. Can India extend their winning run or will New Zealand finally pull one back? Join us for the fourth T20I on Friday (October 30). Until next time, goodbye and stay safe..
• Why have New Zealand been so indisciplined with the ball? They conceded 17 extras (16 wides and a no-ball) in the first game, 10 (five wides and three no-balls) in the second, and another 13 (10 wides and two no-balls) today in just 13.2 overs. Are India's explosive batters putting the bowlers under pressure and forcing them into errors? Whatever the reason, the Black Caps have looked off-colour, particularly their pacers in the powerplay. They allowed India to race away to 94 in the first game and an astonishing 118 today. The pressure of bowling to an aggressive batting unit is understandable, but New Zealand need to find a way to rein in the extras and strike early. If they are to challenge this formidable Indian batting line-up, greater discipline with the ball and early wickets are imperative.
• Shreyas Iyer: Absolutely stunning. It was pleasing to the eyes the way they played strokes. Also, when Sanju and I, we went to bat, the ball was seaming, and I was like, how did they manage this? It was simply mind-boggling. [Does this batting performance top the list] Honestly speaking, getting 100 in 5 overs, I've never seen that before, especially at the international level. And definitely tops it. [How important is that message for them to just be able to play the way they play?] I think it's essential, especially coming overseas. You know the conditions are going to be different, and you'll be challenged with a lot of different deliveries. And just to overcome this by such phenomenal performance, credit where it's due, the way they played today, it was exceptional. And obviously winning the series with the third match and two more to go, I hope that they keep continuing with the same form and yes, it's just amazing the way the lads pulled up to this occasion. Jet lag at the start and then the way they fitted to the occasion, mind-boggling. [On bowlers going to the yorkers early] So after 10 overs, I realized that anything they were bowling hard length or even half volleys, it was going into the stands. I just said that try and bowl yorkers as much as possible, even if you bowl six ball yorkers. Make them hit down the ground or wide yorker is going to help us on this wicket. So, yeah, we were able to execute that and minimizing that run rate to eight to nine, that helped us a lot to keep them at 10 runs an over. And yeah, our plan was to restrict them under 200.
• Santner (2/2): [On the positives from New Zealand's batting, with several players in the top 5-6 scoring runs] Yeah, we have seen guys who have gotten in and kicked on, which is making the 80s, Glenn the other night, Daryl today. So, yeah, the batting is a bit firing nicely, obviously different guys stepping up, which is always nice. You know, guys have got confidence under their belt, which is good. So, yeah, I mean, we know where to score runs against these guys, because it's pretty tough to defend. [On the bowling strategy against India's aggressive batters and whether left-handers influenced his decision to delay using himself] No, I think, yeah, I just watched Axar in the first innings. There wasn't a lot there, and there was a little bit of nibble with the seamers. But I think once they're going, it's change of pace. We had to try Bracewell with two left-handers to start. You know, they played that over of spin very well. And then, yeah, I think from there we were trying to change it up and see what we can do. But, yeah, we're going to have to look at, you know, ways to try to stop them. And we've seen it before. It's pretty tough to stop them, but we go to Eden Park, where it's potentially smaller all around. So, yeah, we're going to have to try to find ways, I guess.
• Mitch Santner (1/2): [On pretty tough loss] Pretty tough to stop those guys when they're going. We have seen it before, we have seen it in the IPL. Obviously, witnessed it here in New Zealand tonight. [On assessing New Zealand's batting performance and the total they posted at the halfway stage] Yeah, I think I did a little bit early after the ball. It's another lost toss, but, yeah, I think the way that Daryl and BJ kind of got that partnership together, we tracked for 200 there, and obviously 200 is nice. It's a good score on a pitch like that. I thought they bowled really well those last few overs, really got the yorkers in and made it tough for us. So, yeah, reasonably happy. We knew that it was a good wicket. Obviously, when the dew comes in, it's pretty tough to stop, and the powerplay is such a massive part of this game, and they showed, I guess, how to bat in the powerplay.
• Abhishek Sharma | PoTM: [On the key to his match-winning innings] I think the key was pretty simple. It was just me and Vaibhav, just going to enjoy there for a bit, especially in the powerplay. And especially when we were fielding, we were observing the pitch a bit because of this extra bounce. But I feel the dimensions of the ground, we could use the powerplay and we could use their pace as well. So that was the easy plan. And then, obviously, the way he started the first over, Vaibhav, I think that was really special. And that was the plan for us, get the momentum for the team and then just keep going. [On the confidence provided by the coaching staff and captain to play his natural game] I mean, obviously, it's, I feel it's not that, I wouldn't say it's easy, that easy, but it's just the preparation behind the scenes. I would say a special mention to our coaches because of the sidearms; we've been playing them a lot. And it's just, I feel that preparation is really important as a batter. If you see the conditions and the dimensions, that's always in your mind, and then you have to keep the bowlers also in your mind and play the shots according to the bowlers. And that all I do. We had a good practice session yesterday, and I just wanted to utilise it, and that's what I did. And I feel I pretty much manifested this innings, and it happened. [On Yuvraj Singh's SM message joking that he still cannot score a fifty off 12 balls] I mean, I've said this before as well. I don't know what cricket he was playing back at that time, but it's not that easy at all. And I would say if any batter wants to go there and bat like that, it's not easy at all. You can't just go and score 50 off 12 balls. It just happens once in a while. But, obviously, as a batter, we don't go for that milestone. We always want to win the game for the team, me and especially Vaibhav. He's here. So that was the plan, and that's what we want to take throughout the series as well, and it went well.
• Both teams exchange pleasantries. Santner pauses an extra second to congratulate. Abhishek. Gambhir, Ishan, Vaibhav, Arshdeep and batting coach Sitanshu Kotak cannot hide their smiles. Arshdeep is feeling too cold so he has his hood on. There's a placard that says "Tilak Varma 72 selfie pls?."
• Stats by Roshan GedeMost balls remaining in a successful chase of 190 or more 42 - Estonia vs Cyprus, Episkopi, 2024 (T: 192)40 - India vs New Zealand, Wellington, 2026 (T: 199)37 - Netherlands vs Ireland, Sylhet, T20 WC 2014 (T: 190)35 - Serbia vs Slovenia, Belgrade, 2025 (T: 200)34 - Bulgaria vs Gibraltar, Sofia, 2025b (T: 244)The previous record by a full-member team also belonged to India, against the same team in Raipur earlier this year, where they had gunned down 209 with 28 balls to spare.Most sixes in a T20I innings for India13 - Abhishek Sharma vs ENG, Mumbai WS, 202511 - Abhishek Sharma vs AFG, Delhi, 202611 - Abhishek Sharma vs NZ, Wellington, 202610 - Rohit Sharma vs SL, Indore, 201710 - Sanju Samson vs SA, Durban, 202410 - Tilak Varma vs SA, Johannesburg, 202410 - Ishan Kishan vs NZ, Thiruvananthapuram, 2026Hitting 10 or more sixes in a Men’s T20I innings most often 5 - Karanbir Singh (Austria)3 - Abhishek Sharma (India)2 - Chris Gayle (West Indies)2 - Aaron Finch (Australia)2 - Adrian Dunbar (Serbia)2 - Kendel Kadowaki-Fleming (Japan)Hitting 10 or more sixes most often in an innings in Men’s T20s 18 - Chris Gayle7 - Abhishek Sharma5 - Vaibhav Sooryavanshi5 - Karanbir Singh
• What stood out about Abhishek's knock was his ability to dominate the off side, particularly the cover region, where he scored 51 of his 113 runs. New Zealand tried to replicate India's bowling plan by keeping the ball full and close to yorker length, but India's openers were equal to the task, using their wrists brilliantly and capitalising on the short square boundaries. Mitchell Santner held himself back with two left-handers at the crease and only came on after the opening stand was broken. He did pick up a couple of wickets, but by then, Abhishek had already taken the game well beyond New Zealand's reach. Post-match stuff coming up..
• 23:09 Local Time, 10:09 GMT, 15:39 IST: That was some chase! India, Abhishek Sharma in particular, made a mockery of the 199-run target, cruising to victory with 40 balls to spare. It was all about Abhishek, who had a new opening partner in Vaibhav Sooryavanshi today, but that did little to alter his approach. The duo set the tone by smashing Jacob Duffy for 26 runs in the opening over, and there was no looking back from there. Milne, Bracewell, Jamieson - none of them were spared as India raced to 118 in the powerplay, the highest ever in T20Is. Abhishek brought up his fifty off just 15 balls, and although Sooryavanshi departed for a 20-ball 45, the left-hander kept going, reaching his hundred off a mere 35 deliveries. By the time he was dismissed, India had raced to 178 in just 10 overs.
• 13.2: Kyle Jamieson to Naman Dhir, FOUR, India win by 6 wickets. They take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series. Not off the middle but Naman and India are not complaining. Handshakes between the players, there's a friendly chat between Santner and Tilak. Back of a length delivery, close to off and Naman tries to force it through the off-side, the outside edge runs away to the third man fence
• Naman Dhir, right handed bat, comes to the crease
• 13.1: Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, out Bowled!! Cleaned up! Samson won't be there to see India over the line. New Zealand getting a couple of wickets but it is all too late. Jamieson keeps it simple - full and straight, Samson makes room and misses the drive, the ball beats the outside edge and crashes into the middle-stump. There might have been a small deflection off the outside edge. Sanju Samson b Kyle Jamieson 18(13) [4s-2]
• Kyle Jamieson to Sanju Samson, THATS OUT!! Bowled!!
• 12.6: Mitchell Santner to Sanju Samson, 1 run, 73ks flighted on middle and leg, Samson moves away and forces it to sweeper cover
• 12.5: Mitchell Santner to Tilak Varma, 1 run, 95ks sliding across from round the wicket, Tilak guides it to short third and Duffy fumbles, concedes the single
• Tilak Varma, left handed bat, comes to the crease
• 12.4: Mitchell Santner to Shreyas Iyer, out Caught by Glenn Phillips!! That's a gift from India's skipper to his opposite number. A juicy full toss and Iyer's eyes lit up, he thought he could finish it in style with a six, swings hard and across the line, struck it flat and straight down Phillips' throat at deep mid-wicket. He got that off the bottom of the bat and hence it lacked the elevation to clear the rope. Shreyas Iyer c Glenn Phillips b Mitchell Santner 5(10)
• Mitchell Santner to Shreyas Iyer, THATS OUT!! Caught!!
• 12.3: Mitchell Santner to Shreyas Iyer, no run, 73ks very slow and short as well, Iyer shuffles and slices the cut to short third