Welcome to Wisden’s live match blog for the 3rd T20I between India and New Zealand on November 21, 2021 – follow this space for live updates and score of the match, commentary, real-time analysis, along with where to watch details on TV and live streamingfor IND vs NZ.

India v New Zealand, 3rd T20I: Live scorecard, Prediction and Statistics

Right! That will be that from us for this game. Both India and New Zealand have a huge gap (all of three days) before clashing again in the Test series. Till then, this is me signing off. Goodbye, stay safe!

India stamped their authority early in the contest and even though they let go off a bit of momentum in the middle overs, they got their act together towards the end. Apart from Rohit, none of the batters notched up a fifty-plus score but did enough collectively to power India to what has proved an above-par total.

With the ball, Axar came into his own as soon as the ball started spinning. Chahal also recovered after a poor start, with Bhuvneshwar setting the tone with the new ball and Harshal doing his bit in the middle. Venkatesh also bowled adroitly and that would’ve made India happy, considering how they’ve struggled to mould a batting all-rounder. Remember, Rohit wanted to challenge his side by opting to bat first. So, you feel that he has accomplished what he set out to achieve at the start.

For New Zealand, they seemed a side that wanted to be anywhere but at the Eden Gardens. They have endured a grueling schedule themselves and at times, looked very jaded. From that perspective, they would be happy that this series has come to an end, although the result will stick out like a sore thumb. A few of their star cast stays back in India for the Test series but most of them will return with uneventful T20I memories.

Over 17.2: New Zealand 111 all out – India win by 73 runs; complete series whitewash

India have been utterly professional tonight and the result had seemed a formality for the past hour, to be perfectly honest. Nevertheless, India would be overjoyed with the way they have finished things off and not allowed the Kiwis a sniff of victory – both today and throughout the series.

Over 16.1: New Zealand 95-9 – Kiwis falling like nine pins

The past hour has been a procession of Kiwi batters getting dismissed. India just one wicket away now from a whitewash and they have deserved every bit of. Harshal, by the way, has another two-wicket haul.

Over 15.1: New Zealand 93-8 – Maiden international wicket for Venkatesh

This is a moment that isn’t just going to be rejoiced by the Indian players and staff at the ground. Rather, it is a moment that will be cherished by billions. India have been furiously rummaging for a batting all-rounder and if Venkatesh can keep this up, their search might be about to come to an end. The early signs, I must admit, are very promising!

Over 13.1: New Zealand 84-7 – Ishan catches Santner short of his ground

What a throw from the deep that is from Ishan. Just when you thought things couldn’t go any better for India, Ishan finds a way to trump every other fielding effort India have put in today. New Zealand on the brink now!

Over 12.3: New Zealand 76-6 – Neesham makes the long walk back

Ever since Axar got a ball to grip in the surface, the Kiwis haven’t been themselves. They have been very tentative, both against the spinners and the pacers and have paid the price. With Neesham back in the shed, an Indian victory seems more a matter of when rather than if.

Over 11.4: New Zealand 76-5 – Seifert falls as well

The last thing NZ needed was a run-out. A huge moment of indecision and it could act as another nail in their coffin. Neesham and Santner are at the crease but they don’t have a lot of batting to follow. The required run rate is also over 13 runs. Surely India will not let this one slip?

Over 10.3: New Zealand 69-4 – Chahal breaks through

Chahal had been tempting Guptill to go downtown and he deceives him in flight just enough to send him backing. Classic Chahal dismissal and this would please him and the Indian team no end. He had been taken to the cleaners prior to this over but has responded in style. New Zealand inching closer to a fourth successive defeat.

New Zealand 68-3 after 10 overs. Where is this game headed? You’d be tempted to say India because they are clearly the team in the ascendancy. But with Guptill still at the crease, you never know. You just never know!

Over 9: New Zealand 61-3 – Guptill keeping Kiwis afloat

Over the past few overs, Guptill has been waging a lone battle. The required run rate has hurtled 11.2 but Guptill, owing to the boundaries he is finding, has still kept the Kiwis in the hunt. They will need a lot more though and you feel Seifert has to start contributing to this partnership too. Huge couple of overs lined up for NZ!

Right. The moment India has been waiting for. Venkatesh Iyer comes on to bowl!

Over 6: New Zealand 37-3 – India applying the squeeze

Despite Guptill clattering Bhuvneshwar over extra cover, the Kiwis are falling well behind the required run rate. Remember, the required run rate has zinged over 10.5 and unless the Black Caps can take corrective action quickly, the game could drift further away.

Over 4.4: New Zealand 30-3 – Axar all over New Zealand like a rash

Phillips can’t resist the temptation to play the reverse sweep. But this time, it leads to his downfall. As it often happens with Axar, he gets a wicket with the ball that went straight through. And, with doubts now creeping into the Kiwi camp, he could be even more dangerous.

Over 4: New Zealand 29-2 – Spinners into action

The ball is gripping in the surface and sticking a tad too. Rohit has been smart in bringing his spinners into play with a drier ball. The Kiwis might be tempted to counter attack in the Power Play but they are already two down. Fascinating passage of play awaits.

Spin from both ends now. Chahal into the attack.

Over 3: New Zealand 22-2 – Two in the over for Axar

Axar, much like Santner earlier in the evening, is running rampant. Huge amount of turn and bounce to deceive Chapman too. Excellent stumping by Pant, I must say. New Zealand in trouble and with the ball spinning such a great deal, this 185-run target seems a lot bigger as well.

Over 2.1: New Zealand 21-1 – Axar into the attack and among the wickets

India have been brave with their usage of Axar in the Power Play and they get rewarded tonight. The ball might just have stuck in the surface and that could be something to watch out for in the overs that remain. Either way, India and Axar aren’t complaining. Huge wicket for the hosts.

Over 2: New Zealand 21-0 – Chahar leaks runs, drops a catch too

Chahar got swing, akin to Bhuvneshwar but bowled too close to the batters as they took him down. To add to his woes, he also dropped a catch on the final ball of the over. Guptill was the batter too. Oh my! How costly could this be for India?

As expected, Chahar to share the new ball!

Over 1: New Zealand 5-0 – Early swing for Bhuvneshwar

Bhuvneshwar got the ball to move both ways in that over. Interestingly enough, the knuckle balls that he bowled also swerved in the air. India have another swing-bowling exponent in Chahar. Can these two provide the hosts with the breakthrough they crave? Might just happen, you know!

Guptill and Mitchell will open the batting for New Zealand, as expected. Bhuvneshwar to start off for India. Can he extract any kind of swing tonight?

India signaled their intentions early and immediately stepped on the accelerator. The openers pounded the Kiwi bowlers to all parts and ransacked 69 runs in the Power Play alone. Post the field restrictions, though, India struggled – like they have often done when batting first in the past couple of years. Rohit tried to keep India afloat but the glut of wickets meant that even 180 seemed a distant possibility at the start of the 16th over.

Fortunately for India, their fast bowlers, namely Chahar and Harshal produced a few lusty blows at the end. The former, in particular, tore Milne to shreds in the final over and ensured that India got past the 180-run barrier. From New Zealand’s perspective, they would be thrilled that they ultimately contained India to 184, especially after what transpired in the Power Play. Yet, when considering how the Black Caps pulled things back in the middle, they might slightly be disappointed.

Nevertheless, this game seems to be set up beautifully. And, with India not having defended a total so far in this series, this prospect is quite enticing! Do join us in a bit for the run-chase!

Over 20: India 184-7 – Chahar’s fireworks light up Eden Gardens

Just as everyone was preparing for the inevitable, Chahar rises to the occasion. A sparkling last over and it has catapulted India to a total in excess of 180. This is a good score on this pitch but you feel that the Kiwis will be happy (0verall) to be chasing a target of this sort.

Over 18.3: India 162-7 – Ferguson gets his first; Harshal dismissed hit wicket

Bizarre, to say the least. Harshal walks so deep into his crease that he ends up smashing his stumps while attempting a square drive. The Kiwis aren’t celebrating and Harshal strides back to the pavilion mutedly. A bit of an anti-climax really.

Over 18: India 156-6 – India ticking along

India haven’t gotten too many boundaries lately but they have managed to keep the scoreboard moving. A couple of lusty blows will take them past 170 and that is an achievement, considering how precariously they were placed after Shreyas’ departure.

Over 16.1: India 140-6 – Shreyas departs too

Shreyas had been looking twitchy over the past few minutes and he too departs now. India are staring down the barrel now. They only have their bowlers in the shed and the better part of four overs to play. 180 seems a distant dream with the fall of Shreyas’ wicket.

Over 15.5: India 139-5 – Boult sends Venkatesh packing

New Zealand have been chipping away at the wickets since the Power Play and that trend is continuing at the death too. This wicket is huge, considering it has now brought Axar to the crease. The likes of Bhuvneshwar, Chahar and Harshal can bat. Not sure if India would want them to face many balls though. Can India scrap their way to 180?

Pace returns to the attack. Boult to bowl the 16th over. India 134-4 after 15 overs.

Over 14: India 127-4 – Shreyas and Venkatesh moving through the gears

There are finally some signs that Shreyas and Venkatesh are looking to put pressure back on the Kiwi bowlers. It seems that they are satisfied with their consolidation, meaning that a few explosive overs might be in store. This, by the way, could also create wicket-taking openings for New Zealand. Fascinating few overs of play coming up!

Over 11.2: India 103-4 – Sodhi gets the big fish

What a remarkable catch this is. Rohit didn’t quite time it well but Sodhi did brilliantly to fling out his right palm and snaffle up the chance. Right. This is going to test India’s resolve now. They have two relatively inexperienced batters at the crease and only Axar to follow. This is the Kiwis’ opportunity to turn the screw.

Over 10: India 90-3 – Hosts hitting a submerged log

India have lost a lot of momentum post the Power Play. In fact, they have only scored 21 runs in four overs since the field restrictions were lifted. Numbers, though, suggest that this is perhaps the norm. Since 2019 and when batting first, India crawl at 7.43 in the middle overs.

Over 9: India 83-3 – Santner has three

Santner has managed to dangle the carrot just enough to entice Pant into a false stroke. India have been aggressive in their approach but are feeling the other edge of the sword in the middle overs. Will they shelve it now or will they continue?

Pant is the new man in at No.4. Let’s see what he can produce tonight. Much longer to bat today too!

Over 7: India 69-2 – Suryakumar departs; Santner has two in the over

Just as we were thinking that India were going to pile misery on the Kiwi bowlers, Santner’s twin strikes have pegged them back. These are two crucial wickets too, considering how Ishan and Surya can dominate the spinners. What do India do now? Consolidate or continue attacking?

Over 6.2: India 69-1 – Santner gets Ishan Kishan

An innocuous delivery outside off stump and it gets the better of Ishan. A slightly tentative stroke, considering how decisive he had been in the Power Play. Nevertheless, a good cameo from Ishan, although he would’ve wanted to make more of this start.

Over 6: India 69-0 – Strong end to the Power Play

Rohit is making absolute merry here at the Eden Gardens. He likes this ground quite a bit too. Remember his 264-run knock in ODI cricket? It came here. In T20s, he has more than 500 runs and strikes at more than 145. The signs are very ominous for the Kiwis.

No sign of spin so far. Ferguson to bowl the 6th over. India 49-0 after 5 overs!

Over 4: India 39-0 – India not letting up

India have treated all bowlers with disdain. The Kiwis have only tried pace so far though and they might want to re-think that strategy. However, with Ishan at the crease, Santner might be a little averse to bringing himself on, considering Ishan has historically struck at more than 145 against that type of bowling.

Ferguson breaks the MI monopoly as he prepares to bowl the 4th over!

Over 3: India 29-0 – Another fruitful start for India

India have embraced fearlessness through and through. They seem to be well on their way to their highest Power Play score in this series and it has been really good to witness the kind of intent Ishan and Rohit have displayed. This could be the right template moving forward too.

It has been a mini Mumbai Indians reunion so far, with Boult and Milne bowling and Ishan and Rohit batting. The batting duo has had the better of the early exchanges though.

Over 2: India 18-0 – Brisk start for Ishan too

Ishan Kishan has an excellent record opening the batting, both for India and the Mumbai Indians. He has started off high on confidence today as well and seems to be mirroring what Rohit is doing at the other end. New Zealand need to break through or they might be looking at a huge Power Play total.

Adam Milne to share the new ball!

Over 1: India 8-0 – Rohit signals his intentions early

Rohit was willing to throw his bat at anything wide and that is a clear indication of how he wants to approach this innings. Boult came back with three successive dots at the end but this change in tack would be refreshing for the Indian faithful. Let’s see how long India can continue with it!

Update: A slight delay because Boult is not happy with how he landed and the surface underneath. A bit of saw-dust is out and it seems it will be a couple of minutes before we begin again. India 0-0 after 0.1 overs!

Ishan Kishan and Rohit Sharma walk out to the centre! Boult will open the bowling for New Zealand!

As far as numbers are concerned, India have only won 12 of their 23 completed games when they have batted first since 2019. A win percentage of just over 50 – something that isn’t befitting of a side of India’s quality.

There has been a lot of chatter around India’s approach, especially when batting first. Today, they have an opportunity to show what kind of philosophy they are adopting post the T20 World Cup. Before the series, Dravid and Rohit said that they wanted their batters to be fearless. So, that could be a hint!

Playing XIs!

India XI: Rohit Sharma (C), Ishan Kishan, Suryakumar Yadav, Venkatesh Iyer, Shreyas Iyer, Rishabh Pant, Axar Patel, Harshal Patel, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Deepak Chahar, Yuzvendra Chahal

New Zealand XI: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert, James Neesham, Mitchell Santner (C), Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

India win the toss and elect to bat first; Santner captains New Zealand!

India perhaps doing the right thing by opting to bat first. Rohit says that he wants his team to be challenged and defending a total with dew in play is exactly the sort of challenge India would relish. It would also be interesting to see how India approach their batting innings today. A couple of changes for India too, with Ishan Kishan and Yuzvendra Chahal replacing KL Rahul and Ravichandran Ashwin.

For New Zealand, the obvious change is that Tim Southee is not playing. Still not clear who has replaced him though. We will find out in a bit!

Pitch Report!

The ground dimensions aren’t very enormous. In fact, the last time an entire IPL season was held in India, Eden Garden housed the most number of sixes. The pitch is a little dry and the cutters could be the way forward, although the shorter boundaries mean that the margin for error is considerably lesser. Dew, as always, will influence what the captains decide at the toss!

Should India bat first if they win the toss?

The toss has, rather uncannily, been the deciding factor since the later stages of the T20 World Cup. In this series alone, India have been content to stick to that trend and have reaped the rewards. However, if they are to perform well at ICC tournaments and not rely on the coin flip, they might be better served batting first and establishing an adequate template.

After all, these endless bilateral series victories won’t count for much if India don’t learn about themselves! 

India v New Zealand, Live: Preview for 3rd IND vs NZ T20I

Date: 21 November 2021

Time: 7pm

Venue: Eden Gardens, Kolkata

India have already clinched the series after winning the first two games convincingly. The Rohit Sharma-led team have kept their disappointment of missing out of the semis of the T20 World Cup aside, winning five T20Is in a row, and are firm favourites to make it six in six.

The hosts could make a string of changes to their XI for the upcoming game, with Ishan Kishan and Ruturaj Gaikwad expected to come into the side with either or both the first-choice openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma making way. Avesh Khan could replace Bhuvneshwar Kumar as well, and there is a strong chance that Yuzvendra Chahal makes a comeback too after being omitted from the World Cup squad.

Mohammad Siraj injured his left hand in the first T20I and did not feature last time around. There is no update on his fitness.

New Zealand, on the other hand, made as many as three changes to their side for the second game. They got in Adam Milne, Ish Sodhi, and James Neesham for Lockie Ferguson, Rachin Ravindra, and Todd Astle. Milne proved to be expensive in the last game and could be replaced by Ferguson for this encounter.

India v New Zealand, 3rd T20I: Predicted XI for IND & NZ

India: KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma (C), Ruturaj Gaikwad, Shreyas Iyer/Ruturaj Gaikwad, Rishabh Pant (wk), Venkatesh Iyer, Axar Patel, R Ashwin, Deepak Chahar, Avesh Khan, Harshal Patel

New Zealand: Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Mark Chapman, Glenn Phillips, Tim Seifert (wk), James Neesham, Mitchell Santner, Adam Milne, Tim Southee, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult

India v New Zealand, 3rd T20I live: Where to Watch

India: Star Sports Network: Star Sports 1, Star Sports 1 HD, Star Sports 1 Hindi, Star Sports 1 Hindi HD, Star Sports 1 Tamil, Star Sports 1 Telugu, Star Sports 1 Kannada, Disney+ Hotstar

UK: Sky Sports Cricket, Sky Sports Main Event

New Zealand: Sky Sports