Match tied (India won the super over)
PLAYER OF THE MATCH : Shardul Thakur
Batter
Bowler
New Zealand continue their trend of redefining rockbottom in superovers. As if T20 needed an advertisement. New Zealand just keep sinking lower into the super-over pit that they've managed to dig themselves - their fourth one since July 14. India have dragged the pillow and the Kiwis are going to bed once again, with a nightmare that seems to have begun prematurely. They'll be lucky if the convenient death of sleep engulfs them for the night, or perhaps just sit in the shower in a pointless attempt to wash away the scars, as they head to the picturesque Mt. Maunganui for the deadest of rubbers. It really is the "barest of margins" between 4-0 and 2-2 that makes cricket the unique sport it is. As my shaking fingers silently thank the backspace key, I, Rishi Roy, bid you a forlorn goodbye from the chaotic comm. box alongside Nikhil Jadhav, Abhinand Raghavendran, Ramki MS and Sreenivas. *Fin*
Virat Kohli | India captain: There's something new that I've learnt, that you've just got to stay calm in the game, observe what's happening and if the opportunity comes then you capitalize on it. The fans couldn't have asked for a better finish in two consecutive games. We hadn't played super-over before, and now we have played two back to back. It feels good when you're out of the game and get yourself back in, it really shows the character of the team. Initially Sanju and KL were supposed to go given they can strike the ball well, but I went in because I was more experienced and in a pressure situation it was important for me to handle things. The two strikes off the first two balls were important and then I thought I'd get the ball in the gaps and get the job done. I haven't been part of a super-over for too long but happy to have got my team across. I thought Sanju was fearless. This was his chance to take things away. I think Washy has played a lot, and Saini rushed the batsmen. We didn't read the pitch well, after the first six he got carried away. Everyone looked to be in good head-space. We were playing well in the situation looking at how well the opposition played. We are very proud of how we went about our business today.
Southee | New Zealand captain: It is very tough. To get ourselves the position we got today and then give them a chance... India grabbed it with both hands. When you got a young bowling attack, it's a critical decision (to bowl the Super Over) from a number of people. You make it tough on yourself when you give a sniff to teams like India.
Shardul Thakur | MoM | 4-0-33-2 and 20(15): You couldn't ask for anything more. This is what we play for, these nail-biting finishes. After the last game, we learned that we should never lose hope. If I bowl a dot ball or a wicket ball, the pressure is on them. It was important to stretch the partnership in the middle, and should have carried on until the 19th and 20th over, so hopefully next time things turn out better for me.
00:13 Local Time | 16:43 IST: It was a cakewalk. It really was. How they've botched this up, I will never know. Tim Southee, perhaps, will be the only player to have as many as six super-overs under his belt, with so little success - 6, 13, 19, 17, 20, 16. Southee's economy rate in super-overs is a shade above 15 runs an over. After all the ebbs and flows of Munro, and the majorly turbulent flow of Seifert, the Kiwis had it in the bag, particularly after the Chahal over that went for 17 - but felines, particularly big ones, can be agile creatures. They've simply snatched another one out of New Zealand's grasp, and made a thriller out of a dead-rubber. Presentations coming right up...
Time stands still | 00:10 Local Time | 16:40 IST: Incredible scenes! As much as New Zealand wanted to leave the ghost of 14th July 2019 behind, the cricketing gods, even in their own backyard, seem to have pledged abstinence against a New Zealand win. "At the stroke of the midnight hour, when New Zealand sleeps, India will awake to shatter their super-over dreams." India 4-0 New Zealand. Look out for Jimmy Neesham's Twitter posts!
Ball 5: Southee to Kohli, FOUR! The captain seals the game with a pull shot. Short delivery, Kohli pulls wide of mid-wicket, was in the air for a while, but it went to his right. India 16/1 - they make it 4-0, Kohli has his fist up in delight and then hugs Samson. WHAT. A. MATCH!
Ball 4: Southee to Kohli, 2 runs, back of a length ball on the hip, tapped on the head towards mid-on and that's a couple of runs as Southee has to field off his own bowling. India - 12/1 | 2 to win off 2
Samson is the new man in. They've crossed over, so Kohli will be the man on strike.
Ball 3: Southee to Rahul, OUT! Short delivery and it's been caught by Kuggeleijn. Drama! India need four more runs to win this off three balls. Rahul is livid with himself as he walks back. He wanted to power this pull shot over the rope, but picked out deep mid-wicket. India - 10/1
Ball 2: Southee to Rahul, FOUR! Follows Rahul, who's backing away into the on-side with a short ball, but he's gotten into position for the pull rather well and hammered it away towards the deep backward square leg fence for four! India - 10/0 | 4 to win off 4
Ball 1: Southee to Rahul, SIX! You run in and bowl length in a Super Over? You got to be kidding me! The percentage of error on a yorker is so high, he opts for one than going for back of a length, hasn't learnt his lesson from Hamilton. Rahul gets under it so easily and powers it over mid-wicket. India - 6/0
The New Zealand boys in a huddle as the Indian batsmen make their appearance. Tough ask from Southee to defend this! Fine leg, third man in. No, now Southee has pushed third man back.
New Zealand - 13 | India - ? Nope, not boundary count. India's target is fourteen. Tim Southee to bowl the super-over! India: 14 to win off 6. Southee versus Kohli/Rahul
Ball 6: Bumrah to Munro, 1 run, India are appealing for a catch, but it looked like a bump ball clearly. Munro tried to scoop it over the short fine leg fielder, but he under-edges this and it bounces on the way to Saini. And they don't run, a dot ball to finish the Super Over! In fact they have crossed over. NZ - 13/1 | Target - 14
Ball 5: Bumrah to Munro, FOUR! Short and not particularly wide, a tad slower, Munro waits on it and backs away to carve it away to the deep backward point fence for four! NZ - 12/1
Four balls done, 8 runs scored
Ball 4: Bumrah to Seifert, OUT! Bumrah hits back of a length not giving anything in the batsman's zone, Seifert tries to launch over cover, toe-ends it high and Sundar swallows the ball at deep cover. NZ - 8/1
Ball 3: Bumrah to Seifert, 2 runs, Rahul's fluffed it! Top-edges a short ball, high in the air and that's swirling towards short fine leg, and he's dropped it running back. NZ - 8/0
Ball 2: Bumrah to Seifert, FOUR! Mishit again, but the contact was decent again. Shortish in length, Seifert went on the back foot to send it over cover. NZ - 6/0