26 Jan 2014

Black Caps tie a thriller with India at Eden Park

12:15 am on 26 January 2014

New Zealand and India have tied the third one day cricket international match in a thrilling finish at Eden Park in Auckland.

India had lost the first two games in the five-match series, and it came down to the final ball, after the Black Caps made 314 all out on the last ball of their innings.

The tourists needed two runs to win - but all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja could only get the single. He finished on 66 and India on 314 for nine.

Earlier, Martin Guptill and Kane Williamson put on a record second-wicket partnership against India, of 153, Williamson caught out for 65 and Guptill reaching his fifth one day century, striking 111 before also being caught.

But then the screws went on and only Luke Ronchi's 38 and tail-ender Tim Southee's 27 troubled the scorers.

Requiring just over six runs an over, India would have been confident of chasing down 315 for victory on the short Eden Park boundaries, however, after a decent start, the tourists were struggling at 79 for four.

The captain M.S. Dhoni made 50 before he was magnificently caught next ball by Tim Southee, leaving India's chances depending on Ravi Ashwin and Jadeja, and the pair pushed the accelerator, Ashwin hitting 65 before he was brilliantly caught on the boundary by Guptill, while going for a six.

Jadeja hit a crucial six with the penultimate ball but couldn't hit the required two off the last ball.

All-rounder Corey Anderson finished with New Zealand's best bowling figures of five for 63.

The crowd of 28,612 was the biggest of the summer. The series stays alive and now moves onto Hamilton on Tuesday, with the last match on Friday in Wellington.