Team India thrashed New Zealand by 46 runs in the fifth and final T20I in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday, January 31. The series ended 4-1 in favor of the hosts following the one-sided encounter.
India won the toss and chose to give themselves a challenge by opting to bat first. They reached a mammoth 271/5, at one point, it looked like they may go even further. Led by Finn Allen‘s blistering 80, the Black Caps tried their best in the chase. But they were always going to fall well short in pristine batting conditions.
On that note, here are two Indian players who flopped and one who starred in the fifth T20I against New Zealand.
It’s not often that Jasprit Bumrah makes the wrong side of these lists. But on Saturday, the ace spearhead was carted for 58 runs in his four overs without picking up a single wicket.
In the process, Bumrah bowled his most expensive over in T20I history. The likes of Finn Allen and Daryl Mitchell took a liking to the usually economical fast bowler. He will want to forget this display in a hurry, although the conditions didn’t have much for him.
#2 Star – Ishan Kishan
Returning to the playing XI following a niggle that caused him to miss the fourth T20I, Ishan Kishan ensured that no stone was left unturned. The explosive southpaw hammered his maiden international hundred to effectively seal his spot in India’s playing XI for the T20 World Cup.
Kishan took a few deliveries to get his eye in, but there were no demons in the wicket. The left-hander went after Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi, ensuring that the former had some serious problems with his bowling changes. He was severe on pace too, targeting the leg-side boundary with ease.
Kishan’s keeping was disappointing, but his excellence with his primary skill was a major takeaway for the Men in Blue.
#1 Flop – Sanju Samson
Kishan’s place in the XI will likely come at Sanju Samson’s expense. The right-hander was greeted by a vociferous crowd in his hometown of Thiruvananthapuram, but he just couldn’t get going.
Samson’s technical struggles came to the fore once again. He didn’t seem like he would middle a single ball before finally trying to heave one down the ground, only to be tamely caught at third man.
The New Zealand T20I series was a torrid one for Samson.
Edited by Sai Krishna