Tag: India vs New Zealand T20I series

AHMEDABAD: Opener Shubman Gill smashed an unbeaten 126 to help India clinch the T20 international series against New Zealand with a crushing 168-run victory in the decider on Wednesday.

Gill recorded his maiden T20 century for India as he steered the team to 234-4 after they elected to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket ground in Ahmedabad.

Indian bowlers skittled out the Kiwis for a paltry 66 in 12.1 overs for a 2-1 series win. The hosts had whitewashed the Kiwis in three one-day matches.

The huge victory was India’s biggest ever in T20 internationals and the biggest margin by runs in a match played between two Test-playing nations.

India elected to bat first on a batting-friendly pitch and Gill continued his magnificent run of form — hitting 12 fours and seven sixes in his 63-ball innings.

He had also put the New Zealand bowling to the sword with a double hundred and a ton during the ODI series.

Gill put on 103 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Hardik Pandya, who made 30 and then took four wickets with his pace bowling, at the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium.

Off-spinner Michael Bracewell struck early as he trapped Ishan Kishan lbw for one in the second over of the innings.

Gill, 23, hit back with a flurry of boundaries including three in one over off Blair Tickner. Rahul Tripathi, who made 44, joined the charge as the two put on 80 runs.

Tripathi smashed three sixes including one off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi only to hole out next ball in another attempt to clear the ropes.

Gill, who became only the fifth Indian batsman to record centuries across all three formats, found another attacking partner in Suryakumar Yadav who smashed 24 off 13 balls as the two kept up the onslaught.

Tickner cut short Suryakumar’s stay with Bracewell taking a sharp catch at mid-on.

But the unstoppable Gill changed gears and raised his ton off 54 balls with a boundary as he took off his helmet and let off a roar.

New Zealand made a horrendous start to their mammoth chase as they lost their top four for just seven runs inside three overs as Arshdeep Singh struck twice in the second over of the innings.

Suryakumar took two spectacular catches at first slip off Pandya’s pace bowling to send back Finn Allen, for three, and Glenn Phillips, for two.

Tearaway quick Umran Malik bowled Bracewell before Daryl Mitchell, who made 35, and skipper Mitchell Santner attempted to resist.

Arshdeep, Umran and Shivam Mavi took two wickets each.

India will now head into the hotly-anticipated four-Test series against Australia starting February 9 in Nagpur.

READ: PCB announces selection committees for men’s senior and U19 teams 

RANCHI: Opener Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell hit quickfire fifties to set up a convincing 21-run victory for New Zealand in the first T20 international against India on Friday.

Left-hander Conway made 52 off 35 balls and Mitchell smashed an unbeaten 59 as the Kiwis posted 176-6 after being invited to bat first in Ranchi.

New Zealand, who suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the one-day internationals, restricted the hosts to 155-9 and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Skipper Mitchell Santner stood out with figures of 2-22 with his left-arm spin while fellow spinner Michael Bracewell and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson also took two wickets each.

The Black Caps started strongly after being invited to bat first, with Finn Allen striking four fours and two sixes in a brisk 35.

Spinner Washington Sundar cut short Allen’s stay as the batsman mistimed a hit to deep mid-wicket, and struck again in the over to get Mark Chapman caught and bowled for nought.

Conway took time before he changed gears and smashed tearaway quick Umran Malik for two fours and a six in the eighth over.

Conway kept up the charge with Glenn Phillips as the pair put on 60 before left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav broke through with the wicket of Phillips for 17.

Conway raised his fifty in 31 balls and found another attacking partner in Mitchell, who hit five sixes in his 30-ball blitz, as they added 36 for the fourth wicket.

Left-arm pace bowler Arshdeep Singh finally got Conway out in the 18th over, but was then hammered for three sixes and a four by Mitchell in a 27-run final over.

In reply, India lost their top three batsmen with just 15 on the board in 3.1 overs with off-spinner Bracewell striking first as he bowled the left-handed Ishan Kishan for four.

Two more wickets in the next two overs put India in trouble before Suryakumar Yadav (47) and Hardik Pandya (21) put the chase back on track in a partnership of 68.

Suryakumar, a T20 sensation for his all-round hitting, started with a flurry of boundaries but the pair played with a mix of caution and aggression.

Suryakumar got into the hitting mode, clubbing six fours and two sixes in his 47, before he mistimed a shot to long-on off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Pandya fell in the next over to Bracewell as the wheels came off the chase.

Sundar survived three dropped catches to hit 50 off 28 balls but found little support from the other end.

The second match is on Sunday in Lucknow.

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NAPIER: India sealed a Twenty-20 series win over hosts New Zealand after Tuesday’s rain-hit third match finished in a tie.

The Black Caps were bowled out for 160 in their innings. India then laboured to 75 for four in their nine overs before the rain started.

Under the Duckworth–Lewis–Stern method, the match was a rare tie in Twenty-20 cricket.

India took the series having won the second match on Sunday at Mount Maunganui, where morning rain threatened to delay the start before Suryakumar Yadav smashed 111 off 51 balls in a 65-run win.

The first match was washed out by heavy rain in Wellington on Friday.

“We would have liked to have won by playing the full overs, but it’s how it is. We don’t mind getting the trophy and the win,” said India captain Hardik Pandya.

Fast-bowler Mohammed Siraj was the man-of-the-match after restricting New Zealand to just 17 runs for four wickets, supported by Arshdeep Singh’s 4-37.

“All three matches were affected by the weather, but we are happy to have won the series,” said Siraj.

After setting India 161 to win, the Black Caps’ bowlers struck early with India’s openers Ishan Kishan and Rishabh Pant dismissed to leave the visitors on 21-2.

With Kane Williamson sitting out due to a medical appointment, New Zealand’s stand-in skipper Tim Southee took the wickets of Pant and then Shreyas Iyer in successive balls.

India were in trouble at 23 for three before Suryakumar Yadav went for just 13.

Pandya steadied the ship with a solid 30 off 18 balls to steer his side to 75 for four from nine overs when rain stopped play.

Having won the toss and elected to bat, New Zealand made a strong start with Glenn Phillips smashing 54 off 33 balls. Devon Conway hit 59, including five fours and two towering sixes.

The Black Caps were cruising at 146 for three when Conway was caught by Kishan in the deep before New Zealand collapsed to lose their last seven wickets for just 14 runs.

The teams meet again in Auckland on Friday, when Eden Park hosts the first of three one-day internationals.

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