Another series against New Zealand at home, and another win for Team India against a side who just do not seem to crack it in Indian conditions. While their win in the first game raised hopes of a long-awaited series win, by the third game it remained what it was- a pipe dream.
India took care of business and emerged victorious in a dominant manner which sees them undertake their transition from an experienced and conservative unite to a side that is young and aggressive.
With that being said let us look at the talking points of the recently concluded IND vs NZ T20I series-
1. Pitches under the scanner in the IND vs NZ T20 series
When you walk into a T20 game as a fan, the expectations in your mind would be entertainment by the boatload. Runs, boundaries, sixes, and huge totals are just the tip of the iceberg, but it forms the crux of the mindset of an average Indian fan. However, the first 2 games were anything but that. While the pitch in Ranchi was a pretty slow pitch which was only saved by a Daryl Mitchell blitz in the final over.
The pitch in Lucknow, however, was an absolute abomination. Not a single six was hit throughout the duration of the game, and spinners bowled 30 out of the 40 overs. Both captains were critical of the pitches while the curator of the pitch at Lucknow was immediately sacked. With a crucial series against Australia coming up, the last thing you need is pitches and curators coming into the spotlight for the wrong reasons.
2. Hardik Pandya bowling- good or bad!?
A big revelation in this series was seeing stand-in skipper Hardik Pandya taking the new-ball duties from the likes of other natural bowlers like Arshdeep Singh or Umran Malik for that matter. Now do not get me wrong, seeing Hardik Pandya bowl his full quota of four overs is a breath of fresh air after years of seeing him either bowl one over or not bowl at all. But the issue here arises is does the team require him to bowl his full quota in every single game?
This question fully arose in the second game at Lucknow, where barely 200 runs were scored by both sides. In a game that saw the rest of the pacers bowl anywhere from 1 to 2 overs, Hardik was the only pacer to complete his full quota of 4 overs. This in a game where spinners bowled 30 out of 40 overs. Is it just because he is captain of the side, or is there any other reason for it, but the jury is wide open on this topic as of now.
3. Gill’s bat continues to keep talking
Shubman Gill just cannot stop scoring at the moment. Be it any format, his bat is currently like a fountain that is generating a seemingly endless flow of runs. While he was guilty of throwing his wicket away in the first two games, Gill in the third game was a work of art. Ahmedabad was his canvas and his bat was the paintbrush.
His innings was an absolute purist’s dream, with all his shots classic and textbook cricketing shots. Not a single slog or a cross-batted shot. He took his time when Rahul Tripathi went gung-ho, and then took matters into his own hands, going absolutely berserk in the next few overs. If Gill plays with a similar approach in the upcoming IPL, it will take some stopping.
Joy Barma
3 Feb 2023This is an informative blog. Thank you for this useful blog about cricket.