India hammers Southee in Super Over again to go 4-0 up

Needing just seven runs off the last over with seven wickets in hand, New Zealand lost four wickets in the space of six balls as the match ended in a tie.

Virat Kohli and Sanju Samson of India celebrate the win during game four of the Twenty20 series between New Zealand and India at Sky Stadium on January 31, 2020 in Wellington, New Zealand.

New Zealand once again found itself at the receiving end of a Super Over finish as a perseverant India prevailed for the second successive time to take a 4-0 lead in the T20 International series here on Friday.

Needing just seven runs off the last over with seven wickets in hand, New Zealand lost four wickets in the space of six balls as the match ended in a tie. Having been taken for plenty until then, Shardul Thakur redeemed himself with the ball in dramatic fashion finishing with two for 33.

As it happened |

Tim Seifert and Colin Munro, the half-centurions from earlier in the evening, took on Jasprit Bumrah in the Super Over and scrambled to 13. KL Rahul and Virat Kohli got the visitor home with a ball to spare, with Rahul collecting 10 off the first two before holing out off the third ball. With four needed off three deliveries, Kohli took a brace and sealed the chase with a pull to the mid-wicket boundary.

Pandey comes through

Earlier, Manish Pandey's unbeaten 50 off 35 balls lifted India to 165 for eight from 88 for six in the 12th over. Colin Munro (64 off 47) and Time Seifert (57 off 39) kept the host on course for a maiden win after it lost Martin Guptill early in the chase. India kept chipping away to keep the opposition under check with Yuzvendra Chahal and Navdeep Saini picking wickets at crucial stages.

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However it was the 15th over that turned the tide in New Zealand's favour, with both Saini and Jasprit Bumrah dropping Seifert. The keeper-batsman, in the company of Ross Taylor, hammered 17 off that over to bring the equation down to 36 from 30. However, much to the despair of the New Zealand players and fans, there was heartbreak in store for the host.

With the series already in the bag, India gave opportunity to Sanju Samson, Washington Sundar and Navdeep Saini, resting Rohit Sharma, Ravindra Jadeja and Shami. Put in to bat, India was struggling before Pandey’s riposte came to its rescue. KL Rahul contributed 39 runs off 26 balls, including three sixes and two fours.

Leg spinner Ish Sodhi ran through India’s batting order. First to go was Shreyas Iyer (1) and then Shivam Dube (12) was caught at mid-wicket. Sodhi finished with 3-26.

(With inputs from PTI)