KOLKATA: Left-arm spinner Axar patel helped India complete a clean sweep when they crushed visiting New Zealand by 73 runs in their third T20 International here on Sunday.
Set a target of 185, New Zealand got all out for just 111 in the 18th over. Besides, Martin Guptill, who scored 51 off 36, with four fours and as many sixes, only Tim Seifert (17) and Lockier Ferguson (14) managed to enter double figures.
Axar Patel was the chief destroyer as he dismissed three top order batsmen in three overs, conceding just nine runs.
Harshal Patel got two for 26 in three overs.
India had posted 184 for seven thanks to Rohit Sharma's 56 off just 31 balls, which included five fours and three sixes.
The newly-appointed captain scored 69 with his opening partner Ishan Kishan who scored 29 off 21 balls, striking six fours.
Suryakumar Yadav and Rishabh Pant fell cheaply but the Indian innnings was revived by Shreyas Aiyer and Venkatesh Aiyer. The former scored 25 off 20 while the latter managed 20 off 15.
Harshal Patel and Deepak Chahar provided the late flourish, the former getting 18 off 11 balls and the latter 21 off just eight balls. They hit two fours and a six each.
Mitchell Santner three for 27 in four overs.
Axar was declared the man of the match and Rohit the man of the series.
Score Board
India won toss
India
Rohit Sharma c & b Sodhi 56
Ishan Kishan c ÜSeifert b Santner 29
Suryakumar Yadav c Guptill b Santner 0
Rishabh Pant c Neesham b Santner 4
Shreyas Iyer c Mitchell b Milne 25
Venkatesh Iyer c Chapman b Boult 20
Axar Patel not out 2
Harshal Patel hit wicket b Ferguson 18
Deepak Chahar not out 21
Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 6) 9
TOTAL (20 Ov, 7 wickets) 184
Did not bat: Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Yuzvendra Chahal
Fall: 1-69 (Ishan Kishan, 6.2 ov), 2-71 (Suryakumar Yadav, 6.6 ov), 3-83 (Rishabh Pant, 8.6 ov), 4-103 (Rohit Sharma, 11.2 ov), 5-139 (Venkatesh Iyer, 15.5 ov), 6-140 (Shreyas Iyer, 16.1 ov), 7-162 (Harshal Patel, 18.3 ov)
Bowling: Trent Boult 4-0-31-1, Adam Milne 4-0-47-1, Lockie Ferguson 4-0-45-1, Mitchell Santner 4-0-27-3, Ish Sodhi 4-0-31-1
New Zealand
Martin Guptill c Yadav b Chahal 51
Daryl Mitchell c HV Patel b AR Patel 5
Mark Chapman st ÜPant b AR Patel 0
Glenn Phillips b AR Patel 0
Tim Seifert run out 17
James Neesham c ÜPant b HV Patel 3
Mitchell Santner run out 2
Adam Milne c Sharma b VR Iyer 7
Ish Sodhi c Yadav b HV Patel 9
Lockie Ferguson c & b Chahar 14
Trent Boult not out 2
Extras (w 1) 1
TOTAL (17.2 Ov, all out) 111
Fall: 1-21 (Daryl Mitchell, 2.1 ov), 2-22 (Mark Chapman, 2.6 ov), 3-30 (Glenn Phillips, 4.4 ov), 4-69 (Martin Guptill, 10.3 ov), 5-76 (Tim Seifert, 11.4 ov), 6-76 (James Neesham, 12.3 ov), 7-84 (Mitchell Santner, 13.1 ov), 8-93 (Adam Milne, 15.1 ov), 9-95 (Ish Sodhi, 16.1 ov), 10-111 (Lockie Ferguson, 17.2 ov)
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 2-0-12-0, Deepak Chahar 2.2-0-26-1, Axar Patel 3-0-9-3, Yuzvendra Chahal 4-0-26-1, Venkatesh Iyer 3-0-12-1, Harshal Patel 3-0-26-2
Result: India won by 73 runs
Man of the Match: Axar Patel (IND)
Umpires: Virendar Sharma and K Ananthpadmanabham (IND)