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New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell majestic half-century, along with decent contributions from Bevon Jacobs and Finn Allen, powered Kiwis to 198/3 against India in the third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday.
Daryl Mitchell smashed 89 off 52 deliveries, while Bevon Jacobs contributed a brisk 39 off 23 balls. The duo stitched together a crucial 75-run partnership for the fourth wicket, helping New Zealand post a competitive total. Asked to bat first, New Zealand suffered an early setback as Arshdeep Singh dismissed Tim Seifert for just two runs. However, Mitchell and Allen steadied the innings, helping the hosts recover from the early loss. Mitchell adopted an aggressive approach, taking on the Indian bowlers, while Allen played the anchor role, rotating the strike effectively and finding the boundaries at regular intervals. Allen was removed by Nitish Reddy for 40 off 25 balls, laced with 5 massive sixes. The 86-run stand between Allen and Mitchell set the platform up for the home side. Glenn Phillips joined Mitchell in the middle following the departure of Allen. Playing his 100th T20I match, Phillips did not have a good outing as he was removed by Axar Patel in the 12th over for 17. From there, Mitchell and Jacobs took charge, guiding the hosts towards a competitive total of 198. New Zealand were well placed at 100/2 at the halfway mark, but India staged a strong comeback in the latter half of the innings, restricting the scoring rate and preventing the hosts from breaching the 200-run mark. For India, Arshdeep Singh, Axar Patel and Nitish Kumar Reddy picked up a wicket each. However, Bhuvneshwar Kumars difficult return to international cricket continued, with the veteran seamer once again going wicketless. With India leading the five-match series 2-0, New Zealand will look to restrict the visitors and secure a victory to keep their hopes of a series comeback alive. (ANI)
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