New Zealand deserved to win the game, admits Virat Kohli
Team India captain Virat Kohli admitted that New Zealand were the better team and should have won the thriller at Seddon Park, Hamilton on Wednesday. India edged out the Black Caps in a Super Over tie to win the game and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
"I thought we were gone at one stage. I told our coach that they probably deserved to finish the game off with the way Kane batted and the way he led from the front," Kohli said.
However, New Zealand would feel hard done by with the loss after Kane Williamson's whirlwind innings which ended abruptly in the last over of the Black Caps innings. Williamson fell for a 48-ball 95 with the hosts needing 2 runs off 3 balls to win and stay alive in the series but good death over bowling from Mohammed Shami ensured India get away with a tie and the game goes into a Super Over.
Williamson once again carried on from where he left off as NZ scored 17 runs from Jasprit Bumrah's six balls but two clean hits from Rohit Sharma meant India got away with the win.
Speaking after the game, Kohli said, India's aim was to bowl stump to stump in the last over and praised Shami and Rohit for their heroics.
"We got a wicket at a crucial stage. Shami again, showed his experience and put a couple of ball outside the off-stump. On the last ball, we had a discussion and we came to a conclussion that we had to hit the stumps because otherwise there is a single anyway and we are gonna lose the game. Shamio went for it, got the wicket and the game turned on his head.
"In the super over, New Zealand again put pressure on us. But Rohit was outstanding today, in the first half and in the super over. We knew, if he gets one hit, bowler will be under pressure because he is such a clean striker of the cricket ball. Overall a top day for us and a beautiful game to be a part of," said the Indian captain.
"When Shami bowled those two dot balls, I thought we could probably go to super over, if we get a wicket. In the Super Over, the discussion was that New Zealand will be feeling the pressure as they let the game slip away. Kane came out and played a couple of brilliant shots against Bumrah who is one of best death over bowler in World Cricket," he added.
India's aim now remains to win the series 5-0 with two games to go in Wellington and Bay Oval. However, he added that the likes of Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini might get a look in.
"It was just a see-saw game. We will try to win 5-0. There are a couple of guys who are sitting out like Sundar and Saini, they deserve to get a game. The idea is to win the remaining two games," Kohli said before walking off.
