New Zealand finally managed to pick up a win on their current tour of India after losing the ODI series 0-3; in the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi, they defeated India by 21 runs. The victory gives the Kiwis a 1-0 series lead after three games.
On a field that offered significant turn for the spinners right away, the batting order of both teams was left searching for solutions, but in the end, the Kiwi hitters’ superior overall performance was what made the difference.
India was given the opportunity to bat first and despite having three choices for spinning, Devon Conway (52 off 35) and Daryl Mitchell (59 off 30) both scored vital half-centuries to assist India record a score of 176/6.
They were able to achieve a difficult total thanks to Mitchell’s explosive performance, which included blasting 27 runs off Arshdeep Singh in the final over of the innings.
In reply, team India had no answers to pacer Jacob Duffy’s opening spell with the new ball, and then later were absolutely clueless while facing the Kiwi skipper and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner (4-1-11-2), who even bowled a rarest of the rare maiden Over to Suryakumar Yadav within the powerplay.
Harsha Bhogle Lauds Washington Sundar’s Invaluable Rise as Power-Hitter
Washington Sundar, an all-rounder, was the biggest advantage for India to take away from the game. He not only delivered some crucial blows down the order while bowling superbly (4-0-22-2) on a spinning surface, but he also broke his first T20I half-century record (50 off 28 deliveries) with the help of 5 fours and 3 sixes.
Famous pundit Harsha Bhogle expressed his admiration for Sundar’s power-hitting ability on social media after the game, noting that he has developed into an “invaluable player” for the Indian team.
By improving his power hitting game @Sundarwashi5 is slowly making himself an invaluable player. Much to admire about him.
Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) January 27, 2023
While his lower-order batting has substantially improved, he is also a useful asset with the ball. In the T20 format, in particular, he has the potential to bowl efficiently during the Powerplay.
