India pacer Harshit Rana once again proved to be a thorn in Devon Conway’s side, dismissing the New Zealand opener for the fifth time in the ongoing white-ball series. Rana removed Conway for just one run in the third T20I at Guwahati, adding to the three dismissals in the ODI series and one earlier in the T20Is. The breakthrough came in the very first over, with Rana wasting no time in striking early. Notably, the only match in which Conway managed to escape Rana’s threat was the opening T20I, which the Indian seamer missed. In every other encounter, the left-hander has struggled to read Rana’s variations and timing. The latest dismissal further underlined Rana’s growing confidence and his knack for unsettling top-order batters, while also reinforcing Conway’s tag as his favourite wicket on this tour.
Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya received equal praise for his brilliant fielding on Sunday, taking an acrobatic catch at mid-off to dismiss Conway. After the wicket, Harshit Rana playfully taunted Conway, raising five fingers to mark the fifth time he had sent the New Zealand opener back in the ongoing white-ball series.
Conway vs Harshit this tour
Five - innings
27 - balls
19 - runs
Five dismissals
Avg - 3.80
False shot - 28.5 per cent
India opt to bowl, make two changes
Earlier, India won the toss again and opted to bowl in the quest to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in Guwahati. The hosts made a couple of changes in the XI with Jasprit Bumrah returning to the XI in place of Arshdeep Singh, while Ravi Bishnoi came in for Varun Chakaravarthy.
India captain Suryakumar Yadav shared his thoughts at the toss ahead of the match, outlining his plan to bowl first due to expected dew later in the evening. He emphasised playing fearlessly while maintaining discipline, and praised contributions from the key all-rounder.
"We'll look to bowl first, the wicket looks good and there will be a little bit of dew later on. So, I would like to chase tonight. I think let's let's try and repeat the good habits, be the same way, enjoy, be fearless, take your own calls when you're inside because two batters or bowlers who are bowling, I think they're the best to judge inside. Enjoy it and at the same time be a little humble as well. It's always good, someone like Shivam, Hardik and some days Abhishek Sharma chipping in one or two overs. It's always a big boost. Hardik has been doing that for India for a very long time. Shivam Dube is doing it recently. So it's a big boost and we're very happy with it. We've two changes - Arshdeep and Varun resting tonight. Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi come in," Surya said at the toss.