Mumbai Indians

Read it in Hindi.

Read it in Marathi.

The umbrellas were out again in the third ODI but India would have welcomed the rain knowing that if not for the overcast mercy, the series was lost 2-0 instead of 1-0!

The Kiwis were well-placed on 104-1 in 18 overs and were 50 runs on DLS in the third ODI. But as is New Zealand’s wretched luck with rain, that would have come into the picture only if 20 overs were bowled in the second innings. So the end result is New Zealand took the ODI series by the same scoreline as India won the T20Is.

Gabbar-Gill out early

Shikar Dhawan and Shubhman Gill put on 39 runs for the opening stand before Gill gifted an easy catch to square leg off Milne’s bowling. Dhawan tried to up the ante and laced his innings with three fours and a six but played onto the stumps through an inside edge batting on 28.

Onus now fell on the middle order.

Washington, Shreyas steady the ship

If not for Washington Sundar’s maiden ODI fifty down the order, India could have struggled to cross 200 on Wednesday. The New Zealand pace attack looked hungry on a pitch that had plenty of grass and offered ample movement.

Iyer also held the Indian innings together despite SKY and Pant being dismissed cheaply at the other end. He looked prime to score his fifth fifty on the trot with delectable cuts and drives but was dismissed on 49.

Sundar contributed with a gritty 51 off 64 balls. Hitting five fours and a six to take India close to the 200-run mark.

Adam Milne and Daryl Mitchell took three wickets each to bundle out the Indian innings.

Umran Malik and rain stop the Kiwi cruise

New Zealand were outright favourites to win the match after that brilliant start from their openers Finn Allen and Devon Conway. Indian speedster Umran Malik, however, broke the partnership on 97 after getting rid of Allen in the 17th over. But again, thanks to the laws of cricket requiring 20 overs to be completed for a match to have a result, India managed a jailbreak.

What next now for the Men in Blue?

India will travel to Bangladesh for a three-match ODI and a two-match Test series. The ODI series begins on Sunday (December 4), before the Test series gets underway on December 14.

Brief scores: India 219 (Washington 51, Iyer 49, Mitchell 3-25, Milne 3-57) vs New Zealand 104 for 1 (Allen 57, Conway 38*, Malik 1-31) [Match Abandoned]