Visitors, New Zealand had their moments throughout the tour but they failed to convert those opportunities into results. The Black Caps started the T20I series as favourites due to their superior record over the hosts & came close to winning the series. In the end, the Me-in-Blue gave them a taste of their own medicine by winning their first ever T20I series 2-1 against the Blackcaps. Here are the 5 key takeaways from the series:
1.Hitman and Gabbar's power-packed show:
The pair together put up the highest ever T20I opening partnership for India and third highest overall in T20Is. Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma's 158 run stand in the 1st T20I gave India a perfect launch pad for the series. It was a nightmare for the Kiwis to see these two bat in such fashion. Their twin 80s gave Nehraji a memorable farewell from international cricket.
2.Colin Munro's magical ton:
New Zealand have surely found a brilliant opener in the form of Munro. His talent and ability to play big shots was never questioned. The southpaw took the Indian bowlers to the cleaners as he went on to slam his 2nd T20I ton (109*) in just 54 balls. His marvellous effort helped the Kiwis square the series 1-1.
3.The run machine continues to deliver:
There are two aspects of Virat Kohli, ‘the skipper’ who added yet another series trophy to the team’s cabinet and another one ‘the batsman’ who continued to deliver for his team. He started the series with an unbeaten 26, followed by an impressive 65 which yet again showcased his class. In three matches he scored 104 runs with an impressive average of 52. His contributions, time and again justify that he is a modern-day giant of the game.
4.The Boult force:
Trent Boult had a good outing in the T20I series. He grabbed the headline for his match-winning effort in the second T20I, where he ended up picking up a four-fer. His overall journey in India has been a pleasing one as the speedster made his ball do the talking throughout the tour. He picked up 6 wickets in the T20I series to end as the highest wicket-taker in the T20I series, which is surely a commendable effort.
5.Bum-Bum-Bumrah:
Jasprit Bumrah's growth in white-ball cricket is rising like a creeper, which is extending it steams at a quick pace in world cricket. In recent times, he has been an important asset for India. Though he just picked up three wickets in the T20I series, his ability to deliver in the pressure situations was an advantage for India. The major highlight of his bowling was his Economy Rate of 6.9 that helped him win the Man of the Match award in the 3rd T20I & Man of the Series along with it.
