INDIA: In a thrilling match that came down to the final over, Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya led India to victory against New Zealand, levelling the three-match series in Lucknow.
India vs New Zealand
The Blackcaps put up a strong fight, pushing India to the brink and leaving the equation at four runs needed off of 3 balls. But Suryakumar Yadav stepped up to the task, launching the bowler over mid-off to secure the win for the Men in Blue.
The Indian spinners shone on the turning track, with Yuzvendra Chahal, Washington Sundar, and Kuldeep Yadav limiting the New Zealand team to 99 for 8, their lowest total against India in T20s.
Despite the small target of 100 runs, the Indian batters struggled in the spin-friendly conditions, with top-order players Ishan Kishan, Shubman Gill, and Rahul Tripathi having a difficult time.
In the end, the partnership of Hardik Pandya and Suryakumar Yadav helped India win by six wickets with a ball to spare. The series decider will take place on Wednesday in Ahmedabad.
With key players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli being rested for the T20I fixtures, the younger players have been given an opportunity to step up.
However, many of them have yet to make their mark, with Kishan’s form declining since his double hundred in Bangladesh and Gill struggling to carry over his ODI success to T20s.
Tripathi, who is filling in at number three in Kohli’s absence, also struggled against the New Zealand spinners.
The pressure was evident in India’s performance, with the run out of Washington Sundar, who sacrificed his wicket to ensure Surya’s stay in the middle. But with a required rate of less than five runs per over, India was able to scrape by and secure the win.
Hardik Pandya also made strategic decisions, employing spinners from both ends in the powerplay and opening the bowling himself.
The combination of wrist spinners Kuldeep and Chahal, along with finger spinner Washington, extracted a lot out of the Lucknow surface, taking out key New Zealand players like Finn Allen, Devon Conway, and Glenn Phillips.
Pacer Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi were only used in the death overs, with Arshdeep taking wickets and conceding only seven runs. Hardik ended with figures of 1 for 25 in four overs.
Suryakumar Yadav won the Player of The Match award for his pivotal inning. The series decider on Wednesday in Ahmedabad promises to be just as exciting.
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