The Indian cricket team became the first side in T20Is to inflict a 5-0 whitewash over an opponent in T20Is. The Virat Kohli-led India beat hosts New Zealand on Sunday to take their unbeaten series run in the format to a 100% record post the ICC World Cup 2019 in England and Wales. With the ICC T20 World Cup 2020 looming ahead, India couldn’t have asked for a better moment.
This was a series where Team India got the decisive 3-0 lead and tested some of the players on the bench. The management will be happy with how things shaped up for the side and that’s a positive step ahead of the upcoming ODI series.
India sealed the fifth T20I by seven runs to take their head-to-head tally against the Kiwis to 9-8. Across the series, there were several aspects that caught the attention. In this article, we look at the seven major takeaways from the New Zealand vs India T20I series.
India master the pivotal moments in the series
One major aspect for any side is to get the act sorted in the most pivotal moments. Team India showed plenty of resistance throughout the five-match series to bring this aspect into reality.
They came back strong in the most defining moments and didn’t let pressure get the better of them. The spirit and character need to be highlighted in the manner India controlled the play.
In the third and fourth T20I, it was one watched pacers Mohammed Shami and then Shardul Thakur force the respective matches into the Super Over. In both these games, India snatched victories from the jaws of defeat.
And then, in the first T20I, middle-order batsman Shreyas Iyer came in at a stage where India were 121/3 and applied himself to help India chase down a 200-plus total.
India get the chance to test their bench strength
This was a series where we saw the Men in Blue test their bench strength and rotate.
As the series progressed, the likes of Sanju Samson, Navdeep Saini and Washington Sundar got opportunities. Notably, both Saini and Sundar showed that they can be consistent when called upon in the side.
Saini bowled his heart out and is a strong support cast in this Indian side. His pace and bounce can take him a long way.
As for Samson, there was a lot of talk regarding his inclusion in the starting XI. However, he flopped in both the outings with scores of 8 and 2. Given that India have plenty of attacking options up front, Samson couldn’t quite show he can be someone with the attributes to stake a claim.
KL Rahul takes up the challenges with an air of positivityÂ
This was a series that belonged to KL Rahul. He was thrown new set of challenges with each passing moment and he cashed in on the same. The Karnataka batsman scored 223 runs in the series to define the art of consistency. With this feat, he became the first Indian to hit 200-plus runs in a bilateral T20I series.
If runs helped Rahul set the stage on fire, he was also backed as the main wicket-keeper across the five T20Is. That helped him focus on his keeping and gives India the base ahead of World T20.
To add to these factors, the talented cricketer was also made the stand-in captain when Rohit Sharma didn’t take the field when India fielded in the fifth T20I on Sunday. Rahul trumping Manish Pandey as the skipper gave us the indication that the management holds him in high regard.
India’s crop of pacers set the precedent on what to expect
India’s pace-bowling unit was always going to be an attraction. In this series, the pacers worked as a pack and delivered the goods. The bowling has been sharp of late and the fight India had was worthy.
With the World T20 set to be held in Australia, the Men in Blue showed that the pacers available have a different sets of strengths and it can all work collectively.
Jasprit Bumrah was terrific and was a major threat. He had one poor game but hit back with three scalps right after.
Shami is growing as a T20I bowler and his heroics in the third match to get both Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor in the final over, was something remarkable.
Saini has already been impressing at large and is someone who can be trusted. Shardul Thakur claimed eight scalps in the series which included a match-winning show in the fourth encounter.
New Zealand panic, need more assurance quickly
New Zealand offered a strong brand of cricket, however the final kill was what evaded them. They had certain moments under their control but Team India rallied back each time. What New Zealand did wrong was to throw away the matches they should have comfortably won.
In the third T20I, with two needed off the last four deliveries, the side lost two of their in-form players. A similar pattern unfolded in the fourth game where they once again collapsed in the final over as India forced a Super Over yet again.
And then in the fifth T20I, New Zealand saw Taylor and Tim Seifert add 99 runs for the fourth wicket. Once again, the side was cruising along. But they went on to lose the match. With World T2o coming, NZ need some inspiration from somewhere.
Shreyas Iyer the trusted figure at number four
India finally have a pillar of strength in the at number four. Right-handed batsman Shreyas Iyer showed why he is the safest bet for India at this position and that he can be a long-term solution.
The batsman powered his way with impressive knocks and gave the side immense value. Not only did he show calmness and the pedigree to face difficult situations, he also scored with freedom. Iyer looks settled and is becoming a solid figure in the ranks.
India also did not experiment with his position and allowed him to bat and show the security. He brings the identity and credit to Kohli for not shifting him.
What next for Rishabh Pant?
With Rahul being backed of late in limited-overs cricket as the main keeper batsman, this could be the mantra for Team India going forward.
With Rahul, you get more cushion and an extra batsman or all-rounder can be fit in to the side. This also somehow brings questions as far Rishabh Pant is concerned.
Pant was clearly dropped from the side and he didn’t even get a single game. When he had the chances, Pant never quite showed the character to deliver.
And now, he is at best the second choice in the side. With Samson failing, Pant is ahead of the former in the pecking order.
But the road for him to make a return at this moment is looking difficult.
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