ndian players celebrate the wicket of Daryl Mitchell of New Zealand to take the game into a super over during game four of the Twenty20 series between New Zealand and India at Sky Stadium
For the second time in three days and the fourth time in seven months, New Zealand choked in the Super Over again. Despite managing a healthy position in the chase to 166 at the Sky Stadium in Wellington on Friday, New Zealand failed to withstand the pressure as they failed to manage the final 18 off 19 deliveries, losing four wickets in the final over of the game. The pair of Tim Seifert and Colin Munro, who had scored their fifties in the game and added 74 for the second wicket, managed only 13 off the Super Over. But India chased it down with a four and a six from KL Rahul in the chase to 14.
Rahul powered the back of the length ball with a six over mid-wicket, followed by a boundary towards the deep backward square leg fence. Tim Southee, however, got the better off him when Rahul looked for another big score over deep mid-wicket.
Jasprit Bumrah took over the responsibility for the Super Over against Seifert and Munro. The wicketkeeper-batsman survived a scare off the first ball before managing a four over deep cover. KL Rahul fluffed a catch off the third ball, but Bumrah finally struck. Munro then stepped up to smack the slower delivery down backward point for a four. New Zealand pulled off 13 off six balls.
New Zealand required 18 from 18 with two set batters at the crease - Ross Taylor on 23 and Tim Seifert on 54. With a solitary four and three singles off Japsrit Bumrah's final over, New Zealand required 11 off 12. Navdeep Saini inflicted further pressure to equate it down to 9 off eight before Shardul Thakur's over did the damage. They lost Taylor in the first ball, Seifert off the second, D Mitchell off the fifth and Santner off the final ball as New Zealand carried the tensed situation to another Super Over - their second in three days and fourth in seven months.
New Zealand lost Martin Guptill early before the pair of Munro and Tim Seifert added 74 for the second wicket. Both scored their respective fifties to keep New Zealand firm in the chase. but choked under pressure.
Manish Pandey smashed an unbeaten half-century as India posted 165 for eight against New Zealand in the fourth T20 International at Sky stadium in Wellington on Friday.
Pandey blasted three fours in his 36-ball 50, while opener KL Rahul had three hits to the fence and two sixes in his 26-ball 39.
For New Zealand, Ish Sodhi (3/26) took three wickets, Hamish Bennett (2/41) picked two, while Tim Southee (1/28), Scott Kuggeleijn (1/39) and Mitchell Santner (1/26) accounted for one each.
Earlier, New Zealand stand-in skipper Tim Southee won the toss and elected to field. Regular skipper Kane Williamson was ruled out of the match, owing to a shoulder injury.
India have rested Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami and Ravindra Jadeja for the match, bringing in the trio of Sanju Samson, Navdeep Saini and Washington Sundar.
India lead the five-match series 3-0.
(With PTI inputs)
