IND vs NZ: 3rd T20I Review – India complete another home whitewash

The Indian team annihilated New Zealand in Ahmedabad to seal another T20I series triumph. After winning the second T20I in Lucknow, Team India levelled the three-match series with the result pinned on the series decider. Heading into the third and final T20I in Ahmedabad, both sides were desperate to clinch the series.

Hardik Pandya, skipper of the Indian side won the toss and elected to bat first. The Kiwis got the early scalp of Ishan Kishan, which proved to be a major blow. However, Rahul Tripathi and Shubman Gill quickly took matters into their hands. They put up a well-built partnership of 80 runs between them.

Following the dismissal of Tripathi, Gill took the onus to hand his side the big runs and shifted gears. His 126-run blitzkrieg and a 103-run partnership with skipper Hardik steered the side to attain a mammoth 234 runs.

Indian pacers wreck New Zealand

In response to the big total, only a miracle could have helped the visitors chase down the score set by the Indian side. The bowling unit worked in tandem to help get the early breakthroughs which quickly mounted more pressure onto the Kiwis.

Hardik bagged a four-wicket haul whereas pacer trio Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik and Shivam Mavi scalped two wickets each to wrap up the contest. This eventually led to India sealing the contest by 168 runs and also the series 2-1.

Top Performers from the match:

Shubman Gill:

The flamboyant batter has already shown how lethal he can get with the willow, especially in the 50-over format. However, Gill’s sensational knock showed that the batter can be just as instrumental as in T20Is. His unbeaten knock of 126 runs entirely tilted the contest in India’s favour and never allowed New Zealand to settle with the ball.

Hardik Pandya:

Apart from his leadership, the star all-rounder has been phenomenal both with the bat and ball against the Kiwis in the final T20I. Hardik got a quick 30 in just 17 balls and also returned with magnificent bowling figures as he racked up a four-wicket haul.

What’s next for both teams?

Both sides will begin their red-ball assignments as India face fierce rivals Australia starting February 9 and New Zealand take on England starting February 16.