Dominant India defend T20 World Cup, thrash Kiwis by 96 runs

India successfully defended their T20 World Cup title with a resounding 96-run victory over New Zealand in the final. A stellar all-round performance, including Jasprit Bumrah's 4-wicket haul and explosive batting from Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, led the team to victory

( Video credit: V V Subrahmanyam)

 

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Ahmedabad: A dominant India created history of sorts defending the T20 World Cup with a thumping 96-run win against New Zealand national cricket team in the final at the Narendra Modi Stadium here on Sunday night.

It was a mismatch of sorts at the end of the match. The home team produced a superb all-round performance in front of a lustily cheering crowd of more than one lakh.
Clearly, the Kiwis’ gamble of opting to field backfired badly. In fact, New Zealand’s chase was off to a disastrous start, losing three wickets by the fifth over (43/3).

Left-arm spinner Axar Patel, with the crowd chanting ‘Bapu, Bapu’, forced the big-hitting Finn Allen to hole out in the deep. Jasprit Bumrah then induced a poor stroke from Rachin Ravindra to be brilliantly caught in the deep by Ishan Kishan, and Axar, back in action, cleaned up the dangerous Glenn Phillips, who missed the line completely.

Consequently, in the powerplay the Kiwis finished at 52 for three, with the body language of the Indian team being so different and aggressive from the start.
New Zealand continued to struggle even as Tim Seifert (52, 26 balls) seemed to be batting on a different pitch.

Pacer Hardik Pandya was delighted to see Mark Chapman play on to the stump of what seemed to be an innocuous delivery. Then Varun Chakravarthy seemed relieved when Kishan pulled off another brilliant catch, running to his right near the fence, to see the back of Seifert to make it a pathetic 72 for five in 8.1 overs.

From then on, it was only a question of formality as the Indians ensured the lower order choked under pressure, with Bumrah picking four wickets in the game. Bumrah, who finished with a superb 4 for 15, was adjudged the Man of the Match for his defining spell.

Electrifying start

Earlier, an electrifying start from openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, who rediscovered his wonted form with his trademark strokes on full display, helped the home team, out into bat, score 92 for no loss in powerplay.

An onslaught which clearly caught the Kiwis off guard. In the fifth ball of the innings, Samson lofted pacer Matt Henry over long-on to set the tone.

Soon, Abhishek whipped Duffy to midwicket, hit one over long-off in the same over to remind his clean-hitting ability. Then he picked up Lockie Ferguson for rough treatment, hitting a six and a four in one over. He reached his fifty off just 18 balls with six fours and three sixes. Just when he threatened to take the attack apart, left-arm spinner Rachin Ravindra struck in his first over, forcing Abhishek to dabble at a wide ball only to be caught behind to make it 98 for one in 7. 1 overs.

At the other end, Samson was in his own zone, again displaying wonderful stroke selection. The way he pulled Duffy over mid-wicket in a flash and later steered Jimmy Neesham with a delicate touch to the third man fence was just stunning.

The Kiwis bowling was erratic, conceding eight wides in the powerplay itself.

Then, Ishan Kishan was in the act and in a hurry. The way he swung, New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner was a delight to watch. Whatever relief Kiwis had in seeing the back of Abishek had vanished soon.

Later, Ishan hit another huge straight six off Ferguson.

( Video credit: V V Subrahmanyam)

 

Samson reached his half-century off 33 balls with four fours and three sixes to continue his amazing run in the phase. He celebrated it next over with a straight six off Ferguson.

India reached the 150-mark in the 12th over, losing just one wicket.

Ishan was at his best too, hitting another glorious six over long on off Matt Henry, which had the crowd on its feet, lustily cheering.
Samson switched gears in the 14th over, hitting Ravindra for three huge sixes.

In the next over, Ishan crossed fifty, hitting a six and a four off Santner off just 33 balls with three fours and four sixes. This saw India finish at 203 for one in 15 overs.
Then, Kiwis came back strongly in the 16th over with their best bowler Neesham, whose hard length helped him take three wickets – dismissing Samson (89, 46b, 5×4,8×6), Ishan (54, 35b, 4×4, 4×6) and captain Suryakumar Kumar Yadav for a first-ball duck to make it 204/4.

India eventually scored 255 for five in 20 overs thanks to Shivam Dubey’s fireworks (26 n.o., 8b, 3×4, 2×6)in the last over off Neesham.