Rohit Sharma sinks New Zealand to fifth consecutive Super Over defeat

The Blackcaps winless streak in one-over eliminators now extends to a bowl-out in February 2010, with three defeats in the last seven months

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New Zealand have fallen short in yet another Super Over, with India becoming the third side to take down the Blackcaps after a tied international in the past seven months.

The hosts had responded well to India's target of 180 at Seddon Park, powered by a T20 international career-best of 95 from captain Kane Williamson.

However, Mohammed Shami forced the one-over decider by conceding just seven runs and a bye from the final six balls, taking the wickets of Williamson and Ross Taylor in the process.

Martin Guptill joined Williamson to face Jasprit Bumrah in the Super Over that followed, and the pair struck three boundaries to set India's Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul 18 runs to win, or 17 to force a second Super Over under the ICC's recently-revised playing conditions for the T20 format.

But Sharma punished poor lengths from Tim Southee, striking the last two balls of the 31-year-old's spell back over his head and across the boundary to seal both the match win and an unassailable 3-0 series win for the tourists with two games still to play later this week.

It's happened again...#NZvINDpic.twitter.com/N59njxXY87

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) January 29, 2020

New Zealand's 17 becomes the joint-largest losing total in international Super Over history, matching the team's own record from a World Twenty20 fixture with the West Indies in Kandy in 2012.

Southee had also been tasked with defending 17 on that occasion, however his over then opened up with a front-foot no-ball struck for six by Chris Gayle and the West Indies went on to secure the win with one delivery to spare.

In addition to a brace of Super Over losses to England in last July's World Cup final at Lord's and a T20 series decider at Eden Park in November, today's result makes for the Blackcaps' sixth defeat in seven attempts.

The six-ball tie-breakers first featured in the international game when New Zealand hosted the West Indies at Eden Park in December 2008, before making their one and so far only apperance in ODI cricket to decide the winner of 2019 World Cup.

While today was the 22nd occasion a Super Over had been used in an international match, it was the first to involve an India side.

Sharma, named player of the match after also top-scoring with 65 in regular time, played the winning hand in his first ever Super Over innings.

However, it was not the opener's first T20 to end in such a fashion – his Mumbai Indians outfit managed an overtime victory against the Williamson-led Sunrisers Hyderabad during the 2019 IPL campaign.

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