Team India kept themselves alive in the three-match T20I series against New Zealand in Lucknow, with a nervy six-wicket win on Sunday. With the victory, the Men in Blue levelled the series 1-1 with the decider to be played at Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium.
The Indian bowlers did well to restrict the Kiwis to 99/8 inside 20 overs, but the hosts’ chase was far from straightforward.
The run-outs of Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar hurt the hosts’ momentum, while Shubman Gill and Rahul Tripathi failed to convert starts. And yet, Suryakumar Yadav (26*) and Hardik Pandya (15*) took India over the finish line with just a ball to spare.
Let’s now take a look at some key talking points from the contest:
Arshdeep finds his rhythm again
Pacer Arshdeep Singh was heavily criticised for leaking runs in the first T20I, especially after he conceded 27 runs off the final over in the series-opener in Ranchi. In that same final over, Arshdeep had started off with a costly no-ball that went for a six off Daryl Mitchell, and that followed up with a free-hit, and successive boundaries by the Black Caps.
However, Arshdeep showed improvement in the second T20I on Sunday, finishing with figures of 2/7 from two overs. His short balls were effective on Sunday, and managed to dismiss Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson. Moreover, the 23-year-old did not concede a no-ball and finished with an economy of 3.50.
Spin-heavy contest
Lucknow witnessed a spin-heavy contest on Sunday. A total of 30 overs in the match were bowled by spinners, with New Zealand spinners accounting for 17 overs alone, and what’s more, not even a single six was hit by either team during the course of the match.
Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Deepak Hooda, and Washington Sundar were all effective, with each of them accounting for a wicket with decent economical figures, with Chahal even bowling a maiden over.
For New Zealand, skipper Mitchell Santner, Michael Bracewell, Ish Sodhi and Glenn Phillips all completed their quota of four overs, while Mark Chapman was also given a go for one over.
Run-out mix-ups
Both Ishan Kishan and Washington Sundar were involved in two separate mix-ups that led to their respective run-outs. While Kishan fell short at the bowlers’ end in the ninth over while looking for a second run, Washington Sundar in a separate incident sacrificed his wicket after a mix-up with Suryakumar Yadav at the other end.
SKY was facing Phillips when he tried the reverse sweep, he got some bat on the pad as the ball rolled towards point. New Zealand had appealed for an LBW but Yadav had set out for the run anyway, despite Sundar’s warning to not take the run. Sundar, too, was out of his crease, and eventually sacrificed himself, with Blair Tickner initiating the run-out.
Rahul Tripathi continues to struggle
Rahul Tripathi, who had made his T20I debut early in January against Sri Lanka, continued to struggle with the bat, being dismissed for just 13 runs on Sunday.
The only match where the 31-year-old has got a start was in the second T20I against Sri Lanka, when he scored 35 runs, but barring that, his outings have been disappointing, with scores of 5,0, and 13.
Tripathi had collected a four off Sodhi’s ball in the eighth over, but barring that, he looked out of touch, finding it hard to get runs on a difficult surface.
SKY-Hardik helps India cross finish line
India had lost their fourth wicket in Washington Sundar in the 15th over following a mix-up, and the hosts found it tough to collect boundaries at regular intervals.
Hardik Pandya joined SKY after Sundar’s dismissal, with India at 73/4 after 15 overs, and could deal with just ones and twos, until Hardik hit Ferguson for a four in the 19th over. That brought cheer among the home crowd, but these were tense moments, with India needing six runs from the last six balls.
Blair Tickner returned, to bowl the final over, and he began with a short of length ball, as Hardik collected a run.
Tickner followed it up with another short of length ball to SKY that ended in a dot ball, and dropped what would have bee a return catch off his own bowling to dismiss SKY in the third ball of the over.
SKY rotated strike to Hardik in the third ball, as the skipper returned the favour in the fourth. India now needed three runs off two balls to seal victory, and SKY, facing another short of length ball from Tickner, slapped it over mid-off to collect a boundary, and seal a nervy win for the hosts.
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