Black Caps v India live updates: Third Twenty20 International from Wellington

Live updates of the third Twenty20 clash between the Black Caps and India, from Wellington’s Hnry Stadium.At 2-0 down and with a Twenty20 series on the line, the Black Caps’ chances of fighting back for victory could literally come down to the flip of a coin.With back-to-back four-wicket defeats to India at Hagley Oval, New Zealand are now in a must-not-lose scenario for the last three games as the series heads to the North Island, starting in Wellington on Tuesday.However, given the late 8pm start times, there’s a very real chance the next three games will effectively be won before a ball is bowled.It’s no secret that international cricket in 2026 is reliant on broadcasting into India, with television advertising to an audience in the billions essentially funding the game. In fact, it’s estimated that for every dollar in cricket, close to 90c comes from India.As a result, 8pm start times allow for the series to be shown at a better time for the Indian audience, even if it means games are finishing close to midnight for the local crowds.That, though, has left this series at risk of losing any status of being a genuine contest, with the team fielding second almost certainly having to contend with some degree of dew factor in that innings.Not only does that make it more difficult for bowlers, who will have to operate with a ball getting progressively wetter and therefore harder to grip as the innings goes on, but the added moisture also sees the pitch quicken up and makes conditions more favourable for batting.Matt Henry tosses the coin before the second Twenty20 International between the Black Caps and India in Christchurch. Photo / PhotosportIt’s no surprise, then, that India captain Shreyas Iyer has had no hesitation in bowling first after winning both tosses in Christchurch.That scenario saw India chase a record 226 for victory in the series opener and even if it wasn’t as big a factor on Saturday night, it has still created an uneven contest between the two sides.“There was less dew tonight than there was [in] the first game,” Black Caps captain Mitchell Santner said. “The wind was up a little bit.“But I think it’s going to be a factor throughout the series, with it being so late. We usually start at 7pm, by the second half the ball seems to skid on a bit better.“It’s definitely a factor at the toss. Both teams, both games looked to bowl first. And even though tonight was a tight chase, it’s still two wins for the chasing team.”India’s squad are also understood to be unhappy at the late start times, with some reported to have been up into the early hours of Friday while recovering from jet lag.While conditions did play a part, the Black Caps were also their own worst enemy at times throughout both of the first two games.Two dropped catches in game one and another string of lives for India’s batters in the second contributed to New Zealand’s defeat, who also had to contend with two last-over fielding penalties for not bowling their overs in time.As Glenn Phillips pointed out after game one, dropped catches are part of cricket – also seen by India grassing Bevon Jacobs on Saturday, seeing him go from 20 to finish with 58.And with a slew of misfields to go with their fielding woes, Santner says the Black Caps should have had enough on the night.India's Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrates victory over the Black Caps in Christchurch. Photo / Photosport“I think 180 was still a pretty good score, but we knew we had to take wickets at the start,” he added. “We managed to do that and squeezed through the middle. We lost the game [because of] a couple of good partnerships by India at the end.“It’s a tough catching ground, the wind swirls a little bit. If you look at the skills of both teams, it’s been very close and come down to a few small moments in the field – especially us.“At the back end of that chase tonight, we were in a very good position. A couple of dropped catches, misfields and ... it’s the winning and losing of the game.“From a skills perspective, we’ve been playing some very good cricket, it’s just some small moments where, you know if you seize those moments, we could have easily been 2-nil up ... ”Compounding New Zealand’s woes, the Black Caps will have to play out the rest of the series without their pace spearhead.Matt Henry left the field after bowling just two overs with a calf concern, after also suffering the same injury during the Black Caps’ test series win over England earlier this year.With a One Day International series and six tests against India and Australia to come, Henry will be given time needed to prepare properly, rather than take any further part in the T20s.“Matt experienced a tight calf,” Santner said. “We didn’t want to risk it with the amount of cricket we’ve got coming up as well.“With the quick turnaround with this series, going into the one-dayers, going into the tests as well, we don’t want to risk too much.”Paceman Lockie Ferguson, meanwhile, will miss game three, in the hope of being fit for the rest of the series.