India decimated New Zealand in the third T20I in Guwahati by chasing a target of 154 runs in just ten overs, courtesy of blistering half-centuries from the bat of Abhishek Sharma and Suryakumar Yadav.
Third T20I: The Chase
The Men in Blue got off to a horrendous start while chasing a target of 154 runs in the third T20I as Sanju Samson was dismissed for a golden duck on the first ball of the Indian batting innings.
However, it was the only blemish that happened in the entire innings from the Men in Blue as the pair of Abhishek Sharma and Ishan Kishan, who came in to bat at number three,e took on the opposition bowlers and helped the team cross the fifty-run mark in 3.1 overs before the latter was dismissed in an attempt to clear the boundary against Ish Sodhi.
Third T20I: The Abhishek Sharma Show
Ishan’s wicket had no bearing on Abhishek Sharma’s approach as the left-hander kept on taking the aggressive route in the first six overs and completed the second-fastest half-century by an Indian batter in T20I cricket off just 14 balls.
Abhishek got the support of Suryakumar Yadav, who carried the form he showed in the previous match and notched up back-to-back half-centuries to take India over the line and help the home team register its ninth consecutive series win in this format of the game.
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Third T20I: Captain’s Declaration
When asked about the approach that India has adopted in T20I cricket in the last year or so and if it is a long-term prospect, Suryakumar said, “I think we’ve spoken about this. This is the brand of cricket which we want to play, irrespective we are batting first or chasing. Of course, for example, if we are 20 for 3 or 40 for 4 tomorrow, we know how to bat. But if you want to play a different brand of cricket, then I think this is the best way going forward. And what do I say about the top 2-3 batters? They made my job very easy,”
Third T20I: The Early Days
Suryakumar gave credit to his teachers and principal when asked about the definition of domination “I think the principal and the teachers, they allot me a lot of time to play this game. They gave me a lot of holidays when it was tests and school time. I think from there, I used to practice a lot, go to the ground and learn from there.”
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Third T20I: The Praise
Along with talking about the batting, the Indian captain also praised Ravi Bishnoi, who came back into the team after a year and picked up two wickets while conceding only 18 runs in his quota of four overs, each of which was bowled in four different spells, thereby keeping the opposition batters in check
In Suryakumar’s words, “I think his plans are pretty clear. He knows his strong points, he knows his bowling really well. Whenever chips are down, whenever team is under pressure, he’s always delivered. So very good to have him in the side. And a good rest also for Varun, so yeah.”