Team India recorded one of their most comprehensive performances and they'll be delighted by the fact that it came batting first.
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Team India defeated New Zealand by 73 runs in the final T20I of the three-match series between the nations, to complete a series clean sweep. The hosts had recorded comprehensive wins in the previous two encounters of the series as well, making it a fantastic start to proceedings for Rahul Dravid and Rohit Sharma. While Dravid kicked off his tenure as the Team India head coach from the T20I series against New Zealand, Rohit’s journey as the captain in T20I cricket similarly started from the series. Martin Guptill was the sole performer for New Zealand, accumulating 51 runs from 36 deliveries in an innings comprising of four boundaries and sixes apiece. Guptill accumulated the same at a strike rate of 141.67. None of the other batsmen managed to even cross 20 runs. Axar Patel was the pick of the bowlers for India, accounting for three dismissals. Harshal Patel chipped in with two wickets.
“That’s what I am in the team for – batting and bowling. It was good to get a bowl finally. Everyone aspires to play for the country. If the team wins and that too comprehensively, it’s a special feeling. I hope that this continues for a prolonged period of time. I have always maintained that as a professional cricketer, you got to be really flexible as to where you want to bat. There might be occasions where even though you are going to play in the middle-order, you might get to bat within the powerplay. That’s something I have really worked on – adapting to whatever situation I am going to play. I am going to look to better that,” said Venkatesh Iyer following the triumph.
Harshal Patel also sounded very happy after a fine performance in the T20I series.
“It seems so (easy). But I know it is a pendulum and it is going to turn the other way some time. You have to be ready for all of that and be switched on. My skill set is not going to change overnight, I have had success by doing the things I do well. I tried to do the same in the IPL and executed well and got the results. Execution is a big part of the delivery, if you get it wrong more often than not it is going to sail over the rope. Sometimes your confidence is not up to the mark but you have to keep backing yourself. It (slower ball) is a weapon that I use often and one that I bank on,” he said.
Rohit Sharma smashed a 31-ball 56 to help the team post a total of 184 runs for the loss of seven wickets. Rohit’s knock comprised of five boundaries and three sixes with the same accumulated at a strike rate of 180.65. Ishan Kishan also seemed impressive during his 21-bal 29 which included six fours. Shreyas Iyer and Venkatesh Iyer provided valuable support, chipping in with a 20-ball 25 and 15-ball 20 respectively. However, Harshal Patel and Deepak Chahar were the players who ensured the perfect finish to proceedings. The former accumulated 18 runs from 11 deliveries, with the latter smashing 21 off 8 balls which included two boundaries and a six.
Mitchell Santner was the pick of the bowlers, accounting for three dismissals. Trent Boult, Adam Milne, Lockie Ferguson and Ish Sodhi provided quality support, chipping in with a wicket apiece.
