NZ v IND, 3rd T20I, 2022-23: Siraj-Arshdeep shine in rain-affected rare tie; India take series 1-0

New Zealand vs India, 3rd T20I, Top Performances: Mohammed Siraj's 4-17, Arshdeep Singh's 4-37 and Devon Conway-Glenn Phillips' 86-run stand are top three performances. India clinch three-match series 1-0 after rain-hit tie in Napier.

Mohammed Siraj took 4-17 against New Zealand in Napier (Source: ©AFP via Getty Images)

Brief Scores: India 75/4 (9/9 overs, Target 76) (Pandya 30*, Southee 2/27) tied with New Zealand 160 (Conway 59, Phillips 54, Siraj 4/17, Arshdeep 4/37) via D/L method

Player of the Match: Mohammed Siraj (4/17)

Player of the Series: Suryakumar Yadav (124 runs in two innings)

Confused New Zealand after being surprised by a majestic 51-ball 111* from Suryakumar Yadav during the second T20I game locked horns with confident looking India, who looked to give some of their young players a chance during the third of the three-match T20I series, at the McLean Park in Napier.

India develop death bowling as Pant’s struggle at the top continues

One of the concerns coming after the recently concluded ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 was India’s death over bowling that was costing them so many runs at the back end of the game, but in the third T20I shouldering on Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh, India made a great ending as they picked up eight wickets for just 30 runs in the last 4.1 overs as New Zealand were bundled out for 160 from a relatively comfortable position of 130/2 in the 16th over.

However, India also tried Rishabh Pant at the opening slot in the absence of Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul, but the wicketkeeper batter didn’t grab the opportunity as he made just 17 runs in two innings making his life in T20I cricket more difficult for the future.

Read More: NZ vs IND, 2nd T20I, 2022-23: SKY outbats others across sides with 111.83 pc higher SR; Ind lead 1-0

Rain has the last laugh as third T20I ends in rare tie

Stand-in New Zealand captain Tim Southee on winning the toss elected to bat first on a good-looking batting strip. India made just one solitary change of bringing in Harshal Patel in place of Washington Sundar while New Zealand slotted Mark Chapman in place of regular leader Kane Williamson.

Hosts New Zealand went off to a steady start with 46/2 in the powerplay. The third wicket partnership between Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway stabilised the NZ ship as the 86-run stand for the third wicket carried them to 130/2 after 15.5 overs, before India’s bowlers made a great return to bundle out the Kiwis at only 160 in 19.4 overs.

India didn’t begin well in the chase, losing three wickets in three overs with just 23 on the board. But Suryakaumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya began the onslaught from then on to take them to 75/4 when the heavens opened up. With no more play being possible, the match officials declared the game as a tie basis the Duckworth Lewis method.

Let’s take a look at the top three performances from the third T20I game between New Zealand and India in Napier.

Mohammed Siraj gets POTM for his heroics with the ball (4-17) (Source: ©Getty Images)

Mohammed Siraj destroyed New Zealand with mind-boggling figures of 4/17

Mohammed Siraj was in the standby list of the recently finished ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia, but since coming into the eleven in the New Zealand T20I series, he bowled with lots of energy and returned figures of 2/24 in the second T20I game.

When he was thrown the ball in the last over of the powerplay, Siraj straightaway on his second ball of the first over sent back Mark Chapman on 12, who looking to guide the ball very square on the on-side got a leading edge as the mid-on fielder grabbed an easy catch.

When Siraj came back in the 16th over of the innings to bowl his third over of the game, he broke the good-looking partnership between Glenn Phillips and Devon Conway by collecting the wicket of the former on 54, who in an attempt to play the pull shot got a top-edge as Bhuvneshwar Kumar running from fine leg took a good catch.

Siraj began his last over with the wicket of James Neesham on a duck who while reaching for a big shot skewed it off the toe end towards backward point as Rishabh Pant making a lot of ground caught it in the end. Three balls later, Siraj registered the wicket of Mitchell Santner on 1 who in playing a rash shot ballooned it towards extra cover as the fielder did the rest of the job.

Mohammed Siraj who finished with career best figures of 4/17 in his four overs, now has 11 T20I wickets in eight games.

Read More: NZ vs IND, 1st T20I, 2022-23: Wellington game gets abandoned; India’s new plans postponed

Conway-Phillips put 86-run stand for 3rd wicket (Source: ©Getty Images)

Conway-Phillips 86-run stand rescued New Zealand from early blows

Both Devon Conway and Glenn Phillips, who scored a brilliant century at the Syndey Cricket Ground (SCG) against Sri Lanka during the T20 World Cup, were in great touch as they found each other’s company in the middle in the sixth over with the hosts being 44/2 after the powerplay.

Both of them began to take their time to get settled on what was expected to be a great batting surface with short boundaries. Conway drilled Yuzvendra Chahal over mid-wicket before Phillips helped the leg-sided ball from Harshal Patel to the fine leg boundary. Conway clubbed Chahal for another boundary in front of square of the off-side, while Glenn Phillips slapped Chahal for a six that sailed over the mid-wicket for a huge maximum.

Devon Conway with a triple scored his eighth T20I half-century in 39 balls, before Phillips tore away Bhuvneshwar Kumar by powering him for a huge six over deep square leg. With another six against Harshal, flicked over the deep square leg region, Phillips celebrated his eighth T20I fifty in 31 balls. Both of them with their 86-run stand in 63 balls, rescued New Zealand from the early powerplay blows.

Phillips who was dismissed on 54 in 33 balls laced with five boundaries and three sixes now has 1360 T20I runs in 55 games, while Conway who ended up with 59 in 49 deliveries now has 1170 runs in 34 T20I games.

Read More: India need a new brand of cricket in T20Is post disappointing SF exit in T20 World Cup 2022

Arshdeep took 4-37 at Napier against New Zealand (Source: ©AFP/Getty Images)

Arshdeep Singh again shined with figures of 4/37

The left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh was in top notch form in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup with 10 wickets in six games, especially taking wickets in the powerplay to put early pressure on the opponents. He went wicketless in the second T20I game against New Zealand but made a great return in the last game of the series.

After being hit for a boundary with his first legal ball, Arshdeep trapped opener Finn Allen before the stumps on 3 who looking to whip the ball was beaten as the ball smashed his back-pad. Arshdeep was definitely torn away in his second over spending 19 runs.

When he came back in the 17th over, he recorded the wicket of Devon Conway on 59, who failing to spot the knuckle ball miscued it in the hands of the deep mid-wicket fielder. On the very first ball of his last over, he got the better of Daryl Mitchell on 10 who going for a pull shot ended up gloving the ball to the wicketkeeper. On the very next ball, Ish Sodhi saw his furniture rolling as New Zealand lost another successive wicket.

Arshdeep Singh returned figures of 4/37 in his four overs and he now has 33 T20I wickets in 21 games.

What’s to Come

With the end of the T20I leg, the focus will now shift to the One Day International (ODI) series between hosts New Zealand and India. The first of the three-match ODI series will begin on November 25 at the Eden Park in Auckland.

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