New Zealand vs India, 2020: 3rd T20I – A rare Tie for India, Rohit Sharma's record fifty, Williamson's valiant effort and more stats

India registered their first T20I series win on New Zealand soil following a thrilling win in the Super Over during the 3rd T20I at the Seddon Park. Both the teams finished exactly on 179 with Rohit Sharma (65) and Kane Williamson (95) top-scoring for their respective teams. Williamson’s knock kept New Zealand two runs away from a win but Mohammed Shami conceded only one run in the last four deliveries to Tie the match. Williamson batted in the Super Over and helped the Kiwis accumulate 17 runs off Jasprit Bumrah’s over. Rohit took the responsibility for the Indian team smashing back to back sixes on the last two balls when India needed 10 runs to win.

All the statistical highlights recorded during India’s 3rd consecutive win on the New Zealand tour:

India’s first-ever Super over:

1 – This was the first time India was involved in a Super Over in any International format. This was also only the 2nd time India were part of a Tied T20I with the other one being against Pakistan in 2007 WT20. The winner of the match was decided by a bowl out and was won by India with 3-0 margin.

0 – No player from India’s playing XI in this game was featured in a T20I tie before this match. Contrastingly, New Zealand’s Tim Southee and Ross Taylor featured in six Tied matches apiece while Martin Guptill in five Tied T20Is. Hamish Bennett was the only player from the New Zealand XI to not appear in a Tied T20I match.

An embarrassing feat for Southee:

20 – The 20 runs conceded by Tim Southee in the Super over are the 2nd most by any player in a T20I Super over. Daniel Vettori conceded 25 runs against West Indies in 2008 which was the first Super Over in Men’s T20Is.

A record fifty from Rohit:

65 – Rohit Sharma’s 65 in this match is now the highest individual score for India in a T20I on New Zealand soil. He surpassed Suresh Raina’s unbeaten 61 in the 2009 Christchurch T20I.

5 – Number of T20I fifties that Rohit Sharma has completed in less than 25 balls thus far; the most by any player in this format. Evin Lewis and Paul Stirling have compiled four fifties taking less than 25 deliveries.

23 – Rohit reached his fifty in 23 balls during this match; the joint-fastest by an Indian against New Zealand. KL Rahul scored a 23-ball fifty during the first T20I of this series in Auckland.

24 – Number of fifty-plus scores for Rohit Sharma including four centuries in the T20I format; the joint-most by any player in T20I cricket. Virat Kohli also has 24 fifty-plus scores; all of them being fifties only.

A big knock in vain from Williamson:

95 – Kane Williamson’s 95-run knock in this match is the highest T20I score by a New Zealand captain in Men’s cricket. The previous highest was 74 by Brendon McCullum in the 2013 T20I against England also in Hamilton.

This is also the 3rd highest score by a captain during a T20I chase behind Paras Khadka’s 106* against Singapore and Pieter Seelar’s 96* during an unsuccessful chase against Scotland last year.

95 – Williamson’s 95 is now the 2nd highest score for New Zealand in a T20I chase. Martin Guptill scored an unbeaten 101 against South Africa in the 2012 East London T20I where he completed a century on the last ball of the match.

Kohli goes past Dhoni:

1126 – Virat Kohli’s 1126 runs as a captain in the T20I format are the most by an Indian captain in this format surpassing MS Dhoni’s 1112 runs. Overall, Kohli’s tally is the 3rd highest as captain in Men’s T20I cricket.