Ahmedabad, Feb 02, 2023, IANS

Ahmedabad, Feb 2 (IANS) India top-order batter Rahul Tripathi has bewailed that he could have added more runs to the tally in the third and final T20I against New Zealand on Wednesday.

Tripathi scored a vital 44 off just 22 before getting caught off Ish Sodhi's short ball in the ninth over.

After the match, the 31-year-old batter said: "I would have been happier had I got some more runs. Rahul (Dravid) sir and everyone has been telling me to play in the same way I have been, and look to take advantage in the first six overs."

"It's a terrific atmosphere in the stadium, playing in front of such a crowd. And even more happy that we have won the series," he added.

In Wednesday's game, Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi gave India some momentum after Ishan Kishan's dismissal and they did it with perfection by hitting multiple boundaries. While Gill played traditional shots to fetch fours, Tripathi brought adventurous shots to get boundaries and six to take India to 57/1 at the end of the Power-play.

Tripathi hit Kiwi spinners in back-to-back overs to keep the momentum going. However, his entertaining knock came to an end when he pulled a half-tracker by Sodhi down the fine-leg fielder's throat.

In reply, Indian bowlers set the tone for the Powerplay, as New Zealand were left struggling at 21/5 after 4.2 overs. The visitors never managed to recover from the horrendous start, as they succumbed to a 168-run defeat