Team India continued on its brilliant run in the fifth T20I as the side completed a 5-0 series whitewash over New Zealand.
It was a perfect end to the T20I series for India as the side completed a 5-0 whitewash over New Zealand with an 8-run victory over the hosts in the final match of the series. Tim Seifert and Ross Taylor's half-century knocks went in vain as New Zealand, once again, gave the match away from a strong position.
Stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma battled a calf injury on way to his 60 off 41 balls before retiring hurt as India managed 163 for three against New Zealand in the fifth T20 International here on Sunday.
Sharma, batting at number three, was retired hurt after injuring his left calf whilst hitting a six and walked off the field in discomfort. He faced 41 balls and hit three fours as well as three sixes.
Despite Sharma’s return, Sanju Samson (2) continued to open the innings and it didn’t work again. Yet another opportunity went abegging as he hit straight to extra cover and was out for two runs.
KL Rahul (45) and Sharma then added 88 runs for the second wicket, providing vital momentum to the Indian innings. The in-form duo dominated the Black Caps’ attack and put on 50 off just 35 balls. Rahul hit four fours and two sixes in his 33-ball stay.
He fell in the 12th over against the run of play and finished with 224 runs in the series, the most for an Indian batsman in any bilateral T20I series.
Sharma scored his 25th T20I half-century off 35 balls. He looked to accelerate but then injured himself in the 17th over and retired.
The loss of both Rahul and Sharma impacted the Indian innings, and they lost all momentum on a slowing wicket.
Shreyas Iyer smacked 33 off 31 balls, including a four and two sixes, but couldn’t push the score past the 170-mark.
Manish Pandey scored 11 not out off four balls, with a four and a six.
In the run-chase, Indian bowlers starred at the initial overs as Jasprit Bumrah's wicket-maiden to dismiss Martin Guptill set the tone for the whitewash. Washington Sundar, too, dismissed Colin Munro early before Tom Bruce was run out in the fourth over of the game.
However, Seifert and Taylor build a strong 99-run partnership for the fourth wicket which seemed to take the game away from India. The partnership also included a 34-run over off Shivam Dube. However, Navdeep Saini broke the stand in the 13th over of the innings as he dismissed Seifert right after his half-century.
The Indian bowlers were tight in their lines as the required run-rate continued to tower with each innings. Justifiably, the New Zealand batsmen, in the bid to score quickly, continued to lose wickets as Ross Taylor remained helpless at one end.
The Kiwis lost their next five wickets within 25 runs as the run-chase crumbled for the hosts.
In the final over, New Zealand required 20 runs to win and Ish Sodhi raised the hopes for another Super Over with two sixes, but Shardul Thakur held his nerves to steer India to victory.
(With inputs from PTI)
