India press the accelerator, win 3rd T20I in a canter to clinch five-match series

After New Zealand pulled off a historic and first ODI series win in India earlier this month, it was believed that the Black Caps will give the hosts a run for their money in the five-match T20Is series too. However, it was not to be so as India proved, yet again, that when it comes to T20 cricket they are second to none.

On Sunday, India pulled off yet another thumping eight-wicket victory in Guwahati to seal the series with two more matches left.

After restricting the visitors to 153 for nine, India were on a speed boat as they romped to 155 for two in just 10 overs. Such was the domination of the Indian batters that no bowler used by skipper Mitchell Santner, including himself, proved effective to stop the marauders.

Abhishek, Suryakumar unstoppable

Though Sanju Samson was cleaned up off the first ball of the innings by Matt Henry, the Indians never took off their foot from the accelerator. Ishan Kishan started it and Abhishek Sharma and skipper Suryakumar Yadav pushed it even further.

After Kishan, who made a 13-ball 28 with three fours and two sixes left, Abhishek and Suryakumar pounded the Kiwi attack to pulp.

Abhishek, who had missed out scoring in the second game after getting 84 in the opening match, smashed the New Zealand bowlers to all parts of the park. The southpaw scored a 20-ball unbeaten 68 at a whopping strike rate of 340. His knock contained seven fours and five sixes.

Suryakumar, who has stormed back into form ahead of the T20 World Cup, scored yet another unbeaten half-century. He remained unbeaten on 57 off 26 balls with six fours and three sixes. Fittingly enough it was Suryakumar who hit the final two boundaries that sealed the matter. Suryakumar had scored an unbeaten 82 in the previous game and 32 in the first game.

“That’s what my team wants from me. Not easy to do it every time. Yuvraj’s 12-ball fifty is impossible to beat. All batters are batting well, going forward it’ll be fun this series. Stepping leg side is about field placement, if I get room then I can hit offside. I just want to play with the field,” said Abhishek after the game.

Jasprit Bumrah took three for 17 to help restrict New Zealand to a below par 153 for nine in the third T20I in Guwahati on  Sunday

Bumrah puts India on top with three for 17 haul

Earlier, put into bat, New Zealand struggled to get going. They lost wickets at regular intervals which prevented them from putting up a big score on the board.

They lost Devon Conway (1) and Rachin Ravindra (4) with 13 on the board and that set them back. Though Glenn Phillips (48; 40 balls 6×4, 1×6) and Mark Chapman (32; 23 balls; 2×4, 2×6) added 52 for the fourth wicket, the progress was slow.

The visitors never got the momentum needed to propel their innings to the next level.

Jasprit Bumrah, who was rested in the previous game, was the wrecker-in-chief with a three for 17 haul. Hardik Pandya and Ravi Bishnoi took two wickets apiece.

“Credit to India with ball. Powerplay wickets were key. Knew it’d be a scrap after putting up 150. It was a good wicket. Cutters held a lot, but credit to India’s bowlers. It was a 180-190 wicket, to be fair,” Santner said.

SCOREBOARD

New Zealand: Devon Conway c Pandya b Rana 1, Tim Seifert b Bumrah 12, Rachin Ravindra c Bishnoi b Pandya 4, Glenn Phillips c Kishan b Bishnoi 48, Mark Chapman c Samson b Bishnoi 32, Daryl Mitchell c Kishan b Pandya 14, Mitchell Santner c Abhishek b Bumrah 27, Kyle Jamieson b Bumrah 3, Matt Henry run out (Kishan/Bumrah) 1, Ish Sodhi (not out) 2, Jacob Duffy (not out) 4; Extras: (LB4, W1) 5. Total: (For 9 wickets in 20 overs) 153.

Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-13, 3-34, 4-86, 5-112, 6-112, 7-132, 8-134, 9-144.

Bowling: Harshit Rana 4-0-35-1, Hardik Pandya 3-0-23-2, Ravi Bishnoi 4-0-18-3, Jasprit Bumrah 4-0-17-3, Kuldeep Yadav 3-0-32-0, Shivam Dube 2-0-24-0.

India: Sanju Samson b Henry 0, Abhishek Sharma (not out) 68, Ishan Kishan c Chapman b Sodhi 28, Suryakumar Yadav (not out) 57; Extras: (W2) 2. Total: (For 2 wickets in 10 overs) 155.
Fall of wickets: 1-0, 2-53.
Bowling: Matt Henry 2-0-28-1, Jacob Duffy 2-0-38-0, Kyle Jamieson 1-0-17-0, Ish Sodhi 2-0-28-1, Mitchell Santner 2-0-28-0, Glenn Phillips 1-0-16-0.