Wellington, 26 October (H.S.): India will look to seal the five-match T20 International series against New Zealand when the two sides meet in the third match on Tuesday. Having taken a 2-0 lead in the series, the Indian team will aim to secure another victory and establish an unassailable advantage. Ahead of the contest, the Indian players underwent an intensive net session to fine-tune their preparations.

During the practice session, Shreyas Iyer, Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, Shivam Dube, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Naman Dhir worked on their batting. Spinner Varun Chakravarthy focused on his bowling, while left-arm wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav was also seen batting in the nets alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir.

India made an impressive start to the series, winning the opening T20I by four wickets at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on October 22. Batting first, New Zealand posted 225 for four in 20 overs. Chasing the formidable target, India relied on crucial contributions from Sanju Samson and Naman Dhir to secure victory.

Samson produced an explosive innings of 67 off 33 balls, while Dhir remained unbeaten on 42 off just 15 deliveries. Their aggressive batting helped India reach 230 for six in 19.4 overs, completing the chase with two balls to spare.

India continued its winning run in the second T20I on October 24, registering another four-wicket victory. New Zealand scored 180 for five after batting first, setting India a target of 181. In a tense finish, India reached 181 for six in 19.5 overs to claim its second consecutive win.

Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy made important contributions during the chase in the second match, helping India cross the finish line under pressure.

With two victories from the first two matches, India are firmly in control of the series. The team will now seek to win the third T20I and secure an unassailable lead in the five-match contest.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar