cricket

Updated: Jan 28, 2019 09:03 IST

Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bat first. Indian captain Virat Kohli too conceded that he would have batted first on a track which was expected to slow down. Hardik Pandya replaced Vijay Shankar, while Dinesh Karthik came in place of MS Dhoni, who was out unfit.

It was a good introduction for Hardik, who bowled a couple of tight overs and was agile in the field. However, the action in the 17th over grabbed all the headlines.

The Indian bowlers were on the money and got rid of the openers in a jiffy. Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor tried to forge a partnership together, but the run rate stagnated which forced Williamson to come out of his bunker against Chahal, he flicked a ball towards short mid-wicket where Hardik flew to his left and grabbed an absolute stunner to send Williamson packing.

India would want to win the match and seal the series right here before Virat Kohli goes for a well-earned rest. New Zealand need a score on the board to challenge the formidable Indian batting order.

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For New Zealand, there is a big worry with respect to the form of their openers as both Martin Guptill and Colin Munro fell trying to play flashy strokes against a seaming ball which only exposed the middle order. India have been brilliant with their tactics and field placements and the results are showing.