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DELHI THE HINDU 18 SPORT THURSDAY, JANUARY 30, 2020 EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE Rohit’s super sixes trump Williamson’s effort Never thought about India clinches maiden T20I series win in New Zealand, via Super Over, in sensational finish Super Over: Rohit Reuters ‘The way they were batting, it looked Hamilton Rohit Sharma belted two six­ like they would easily win’ es off the final two deliveries Press Trust of India Super Overs aren’t of the Super Over to give In­ Hamilton <> dia victory in the third T20I really our friends. against New Zealand here on Caught unaware about the To be honest we Wednesday. The visitors Super Over scenario, Rohit would have liked to clinched the series 3­0 with Sharma took five minutes to get across the line two games to spare. “find” his abdomen guard earlier and not in Rohit finished on 15 not after the third T20I against the Super Over. It’s a New Zealand had ended in a out after he hit two sixes off shame we couldn’t tie here on Wednesday. Tim Southee to lead India to get past the line. Rohit said the team had 20 after the Kiwis had scored — Kane Williamson, 17 off Jasprit Bumrah (Kane almost given up with New NZ captain Williamson 11, Martin Guptill Zealand going great guns at 5). one point. particular day and you as­ “Everything was packed. sess and try and get that guy Dramatic final over All my stuff was inside my to bat. Probably if I hadn’t New Zealand captain Wil­ bag. I had to get it out. It lit­ got the 60 today, it wouldn’t liamson had almost single­ erally took me five minutes have been me going to face handedly led his side to a to find my abdomen guard the Super Over.” win in the regulation 20 ov­ because I didn’t know ers when he blasted 95 from where it was. I mean we nev­ ‘Bowlers under pressure’ 48 balls but was dismissed by er thought it would go to the Talking about the moment Mohammed Shami with Super Over, the way they when he hit those succes­ three balls remaining in the were batting at one point. It sive Super Over sixes, Rohit final over and two runs need­ looked like they could easily said it is always the bowler ed for victory. win the game,” Rohit said. who is under pressure in such situations. INDIA IN NZ No training possible “From what I’ve seen in Rohit said there is no train­ Super Overs, whatever you Shami, however, didn’t ing possible for Super Over are chasing, it’s the bowler concede a run after that — a eventualities. who is under pressure. run came through a bye off In fact, the Indian team That’s my understanding. the penultimate ball — and wasn’t aware of the Super That’s why when I walked bowled Ross Taylor off the fi­ Over and came to know only out to bat, I was thinking nal delivery with one needed after the match had finished about whether I should off one. in a tie. “I don’t know if you move around in the crease Earlier, India had scored can train for a Super Over. or stay still. There were two 179 for five after Rohit (65) “We’ve got a T20 special­ or three thoughts like that and Rahul gave it a blistering ist in Bumrah. Super Over or but, in the end, I decided start. Rohit reached his 20th whether he bowls in a T20 that I will stay still. Let him T20I half­century inside the match is the same for him. make the mistake. first six overs as the openers There’s no training required “That was my thought put on 77 in the first seven. there for him. But for the process. And, he bowled it Rahul was dismissed off batters, you generally see in my zone, and I smashed the final ball of the ninth ov­ who’s in good nick on that it.” er, but with the score at 89 for one and 11 overs remain­ ing, India was well placed to Incredible turnaround: Rohit Sharma’s two sixes off the final score over 200 before New two deliveries of the Super Over brought India an unlikely win

Zealand clamped down in after the Kiwis were comfortably placed. * AFP the second half of the in­ nings. Hamish Bennett, who got clubbed for three sixes four balls remaining, New SCOREBOARD CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC and two fours by Rohit in the Zealand only needed two to sixth over, dismissed the In­ win. INDIA FALL OF WICKETS Rahul b Shami 95 (48b, 8x4, INDIA BOWLING dian opener in the 11th and, “I thought we were gone Rohit Sharma c Southee b Ben­ 1­89 (Rahul, 8.6 overs), 2­94 6x6), Mitchell Santner b Chahal Shardul 3­0­21­2, Shami 4­0­ two balls later, got rid of Shi­ at one stage. I told our coach nett 65 (40b, 6x4, 3x6), K.L. (Rohit, 10.4), 3­96 (Dube, 10.6), 9 (11b, 1x4), Colin de Grand­ 32­2, Bumrah 4­0­45­0, vam Dube as the torrent of that they deserved to win. Rahul c Munro b de Grand­ 4­142 (Shreyas, 16.6), 5­160 homme c Dube b Shardul 5 Chahal 4­0­36­1, Jadeja 4­0­ runs slowed down. The way Kane was batting, homme 27 (19b, 2x4, 1x6), (Kohli, 18.5). (12b), Ross Taylor b Shami 17 23­1, Dube 1­0­14­0. New Zealand’s reply was on 95. Feel bad for him, I Shivam Dube c Sodhi b Bennett NEW ZEALAND BOWLING (10b, 1x4, 1x6), Tim Seifert (not Toss: New Zealand. steady but unspectacular un­ know what it’s like to play 3 (7b), Virat Kohli c Southee b Southee 4­0­39­0, Bennett 4­ out) 0 (2b); Extras (b­6, lb­2): Match tied. Bennett 38 (27b, 2x4, 1x6), 0­54­3, Kuggeleijn 2­0­10­0, 8; Total (for six wkts. in 20 til the second half of the in­ those knocks when things Super Over: New Zealand 17 for Shreyas Iyer st. Seifert b Santner Santner 4­0­37­1, Sodhi 4­0­ overs): 179. nings when Williamson don’t go your way. On the no loss, India 20 for no loss. 17 (16b, 1x6), Manish Pandey 23­0, de Grandhomme 2­0­13­1. FALL OF WICKETS made a gallant bid in an at­ last ball, we had a discussion (not out) 14 (6b, 1x4, 1x6), NEW ZEALAND 1­47 (Guptill, 5.4), 2­52 (Munro, Man-of-the-Match: Rohit. tempt to keep the series and we came to a conclusion Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 10 Martin Guptill c sub (Samson) b 6.2), 3­88 (Santner, 10.4), 4­137 India takes a 3-0 lead in the alive. that we had to hit the (5b, 1x6); Extras (b­1, lb­2, w­2): Shardul 31 (21b, 2x4, 3x6), Colin (de Grandhomme, 15.6), 5­178 five-match series. His 95 included eight stumps,” said India captain 5; Total (for five wkts. in 20 Munro st. Rahul b Jadeja 14 (Williamson, 19.3), 6­179 Fourth T20I: January 31 (Fri­ Pumped up: Virat Kohli can’t hide his emotions after India fours and six sixes and with Kohli. overs): 179. (16b, 2x4), Kane Williamson c (Taylor, 19.6). day), Wellington, 12.30 p.m. snatched a tie from a losing position in the main match.* AFP Thiem leaves top seed Nadal shell­shocked Zverev rallies after losing first set, knocks out former champion Wawrinka; Djokovic­Federer blockbuster today AUSTRALIAN OPEN too focused,” he said. Halep breezes through Agence France-Presse Wimbledon champion Si­ Melbourne mona Halep has also bene­ Dominic Thiem shocked fited from a more relaxed top seed Rafael Nadal and approach as she swept Alexander Zverev ousted aside Anett Kontaveit 6­1, former champion Stan 6­1 to reach the semifinals Wawrinka as tennis’ young without dropping a set. pretenders stole a march on The Romanian fourth the old guard to reach the seed said she was finally Australian Open semifinals feeling comfortable on the on Wednesday. biggest stage. “I just feel more confi­ dent and I feel like I’m able to do it,” said Halep, who is going after her third Major title. “It’s just a feeling that you don’t see this trophy as impossible anymore.” Halep’s semifinal is against Garbine Muguruza, who continued her impres­ sive return to form by beat­ ing Russian 30th seed Anas­ tasia Pavlyuchenkova 7­5, 6­3. “I’m excited to play my first semifinal here,” said Austria’s Thiem, 26, beat the unseeded former World Nadal 7­6(3), 7­6(4), 4­6, 7­6 No. 1, who won the 2016 (6) — his first win in six at­ French Open and 2017 tempts at Grand Slams, in­ Wimbledon. cluding two French Open fi­ nals — to end the Zverev renews pledge 33­year­old’s bid to equal Alexander Zverev renewed Roger Federer’s record 20 a pledge on Wednesday to Major titles. donate the $2.83 million Earlier Zverev, 22, beat Australian Open winner’s 2014 champion Wawrinka, cheque to bushfire relief if 34, to go into a semifinal he lifts the title, after sweep­ with Thiem, meaning that ing into the semifinals. one of them will reach Sun­ day’s final against Roger Fe­ THE RESULTS derer or Novak Djokovic, who have won 12 of the last QUARTERFINALS 14 Australian Open titles. one point and enjoying est of all time. You need Germany’s Zverev rallied but he said that until now Men: 7­Alexander Zverev (Ger) some luck from the net cord some luck to beat him.” from a set down to halt he has been pushing him­ bt 15­Stan Wawrinka (Sui) 1­6, 6­3, 6­4, 6­2; 5­Dominic Thiem Recovery to set up the third and deci­ Several young players three­time Major­winner self too hard at the Majors. (Aut) bt 1­Rafael Nadal (Esp) Thiem had Nadal’s measure sive match point. Wawrinka 1­6, 6­3, 6­4, 6­2 “I was doing things in a have been knocking on the 7­6 (3), 7­6(4), 4­6, 7­6(6). in the first two sets and he and reach his first Grand “I was lucky in the right door of the Big Three of Na­ way too professional way. I Women: 4­Simona Halep (Rou) Slam semifinal. recovered from dropping situation — the net cord was dal, Federer and Djokovic, was not talking to anybody. bt 28­Anett Kontaveit (Est) 6­1, the third to win the fourth­ really on my side,” Thiem and either Thiem or Zverev Big things have been I wasn’t going out with 6­1; Garbine Muguruza (Esp) bt set tie­breaker, getting off said. “But it’s necessary be­ will get a chance to kick it tipped for Zverev since he friends. I wasn’t having din­ 30­Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova the floor after falling to win cause he is one of the great­ open in Sunday’s final. burst into the top 10 in 2017, ner. I was just really almost (Rus) 7­5, 6­3. CM A ND-NDE YK