NZ vs IND 3rd T20I Results

10:29 AM IST Recapping the first innings - Earlier in the game, Shreyas Iyer won yet another toss and asked New Zealand to bat first. Tim Seifert got out pretty early on, but Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell launched a counter-attack and got the hosts into a position of promise. Allen got out in the 40s, but Mitchell went on to stay on till the end, remaining unbeaten on 89 as Bevon Jacobs played a handy knock as well. India weren't at their best with the ball and Bhuvneshwar Kumar struggled to make an impact yet again, but the death bowling was pretty solid as Prince Yadav made a fine comeback and Arshdeep Singh and Nitish Kumar Reddy nailed their yorkers as well, managing to keep New Zealand under the 200-run mark.

10:27 AM IST The Indian skipper - Shreyas Iyer says it was absolutely pleasing to watch Abhishek and Sooryavanshi bat at the top. He admits that when he and Samson were at the crease, the ball was still swinging a bit, and says it was insane how the openers managed to hit it out of the park. He says scoring 100 in five overs is something he has not seen before at the international level. On the message to play fearlessly, Iyer says it is essential, especially overseas where players will be challenged. He credits the openers for an exceptional effort and hopes they continue in the same form with two games remaining. He is glad with how the squad turned up despite the travel and jet lag, calling it mind-boggling. On the bowling, Iyer admits that India were conceding runs when bowling hard lengths or full deliveries, so he asked the bowlers to target the yorkers. That, he details, helped keep New Zealand under ten runs an over, with the plan being to restrict them below 200.

10:27 AM IST Still a lot to play for - The T20I series between New Zealand and India might be done in terms of who takes the trophy home, but with the ODI series up next, the remaining two T20I games might serve as a momentum carrier. The hosts will be desperate for a win, whereas India will be brimming with confidence. The 4th T20I is set to be played at Eden Park in Auckland on Friday, October 30. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 am GMT (12.30 pm IST), but be sure to join us a lot sooner for the build-up to the contest as well. Until then, tale care and goodbye.

10:25 AM IST Player of Match - No prizes for guessing, and it is Abhishek Sharma who gets the accolade for his swashbuckling knock of 113 off 38 balls. Sharma says the key was simple, saying that he and Vaibhav simply wanted to enjoy themselves, especially in the Powerplay. He explains that while fielding, they absorbed the pressure and noted the extra bounce, but felt the ground dimensions allowed them to make use of the Powerplay and the pace on offer. He praises Vaibhav's start in the first over as really special and says their plan was to build momentum for the team and keep going. On the freedom given by the coaching staff and captain, Abhishek says it is not exactly easy, but preparation behind the scenes makes the difference. He gives a special mention to the coaches and the sidearm throwdowns, saying preparation is crucial for a batter. He adds that reading the conditions, ground dimensions and bowlers helps him choose his shots, and that a good practice session the previous day allowed him to carry that confidence into the match. He feels he had visualised the setting, and it played out that way. Responding to Yuvraj Singh's social media remark that he still cannot score a fifty off 12 balls, Abhishek says he does not know what kind of cricket Yuvraj was playing in that era, but admits that it is not easy at all. He adds that any batter would want to bat like that, but a fifty in 12 balls happens only once in a while. He stresses that he does not chase milestones, and the aim is always to win the game for the team. He says he and Vaibhav wanted to carry that approach through the series, and it worked well.

10:22 AM IST The captain of New Zealand - Mitchell Santner says that it was a tough loss, and it's difficult to stop some of the Indian batters when they get going. He adds that they lost the toss again, but Daryl Mitchell and Bevon Jacobs did well and seemed on course for 200, which didn't quite happen. He also feels that there was some dew, but credits the Indian batters for the way they played. Santner feels that the batting is coming along well, with different guys putting their hands up in different games. On holding himself back during the chase, Santner feels that he saw how Axar Patel went about it in the first innings, and he didn't come on as there were two left-handers going pretty strong, and they will look to find a way during such situations in the future.

10:17 AM IST Presentation time...