New Delhi: Virat Kohli led-team India scripted history at Hamilton on Wednesday after they beat the Kiwis in a thrilling Super Over contest to win the third T20I international and clinch their first ever series in the shorter format on New Zealand soil.


After New Zealand leveled India's 179-run score in their allotted 20 overs, the contest went into a Super Over. Skipper Kane Williamson led the batting efforts for the Kiwis with a splendid 95-run knock from just 48 balls.


Batting first in the Super Over, the Kiwi pair of Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson facing Jasprit Bumrah scored 17 runs with the help of  two boundaries and one towering sixes. Needing 18 to win the match, India sent openers KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma and they delivered the final punch with timely boundaries to take the visitors across the victory line. Rohit Sharma held his nerves at the very end of a tantalizing encounter by hitting two consecutive sixes of Tim Southee's last deliveries.

New Zealand paceman Hamish Bennett took three wickets to put Rohit Sharma's half century in a shade as the hosts restricted India to 179/5 in 20 overs in the third T20I at Seddan Park on Wednesday.

Bennett (3/54) nabbed two wickets in three balls to remove Rohit Sharma, who slammed a 40-ball 65 including six fours and three sixes, and Shivam Dube (3) early on and then claimed the prized scalp of Indian skipper Virat Kohli (38) in the 19th over as India never really got going after the initial flourish.

Manish Pandey's 14-run cameo along with Ravindra Jadeja's 10 off five helped India reach a defendable total in the end. The tourists were off to a blazing start with in-form K.L. Rahul and Rohit looking in ominous form.

India raced to 69/0 in the first six overs and it looked like New Zealand's ploy of asking India to bat first to blunt their strength of chasing would fall flat.

But Colin de Grandhomme's first over of the series broke the 89-run stand as Rahul was taken at point by Colin Munro in the ninth over as he was undone by the extra bounce on offer.

All-rounder Shivam Dube was promoted up the order to No.3 to continue the onslaught but a double strike by Hamish Bennett in the 11th over meant both Rohit and Dube (3) were sent back in quick succession.

While Rohit holed out to Tim Southee at long on, Dube sliced a back of a length delivery to Ish Sodhi at third man.

Kohli took a bit of time to get going as the Kiwis held the upper hand before the Indian captain smashed a six and a four off Mitchell Santner in the 15th over which yielded 13 runs as India moved to 127/3.

Shreyas Iyer looked to heap more misery on Santner as he hit a six off his first ball in the 17th over, but the left-arm spinner had the last laugh on his home ground as he changed the pace to outsmart the batsman who was stumped by Tim Seifert.

Kohli tried to change gears but was caught at extra-cover by Southee off Bennett. India, though, made some ground in the final over as Pandey and Jadeja hit a six each to take 18 off Southee's over.

Brief Scores: India: 179/5 in 20 overs (Rohit Sharma 65; Hamish Bennett 3/54); New Zealand