The fifth and final T20 International between India and New Zealand was played on Saturday at the Greenfield International Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram. India delivered a b performance with both bat and ball to defeat New Zealand by 46 runs and secure the five-match series 4-1.
After winning the toss, India opted to bat first but did not get the start they were hoping for. Playing at his home ground, Sanju Samson was dismissed for six runs by Lockie Ferguson. It marked his fifth consecutive low score in the series. Abhishek Sharma then scored 30 runs off 16 balls before also falling to Ferguson. At the end of the powerplay, India were 54 for 2.
For the third wicket, Ishan Kishan and captain Suryakumar Yadav added 137 runs, shifting the momentum firmly in India’s favour. Kishan reached his half-century off 28 balls and continued to accelerate. He scored 29 runs in an over bowled by Ish Sodhi and completed his maiden T20 International century in just 42 balls, the fastest T20 hundred against New Zealand.
Kishan scored 103 runs off 43 balls, including six fours and ten sixes. Suryakumar Yadav contributed 63 runs off 30 balls and during his innings completed 3,000 runs in T20 International cricket. He was stumped off the bowling of Mitchell Santner.
In the final overs, Hardik Pandya remained unbeaten on 42 off 17 balls as India posted 271 for 5 in 20 overs. It was the fourth time India crossed the 250-run mark in T20 Internationals.
Several records were created in the match. Kishan’s 42-ball century was the fastest T20 hundred against New Zealand. The 137-run partnership between Kishan and Suryakumar became the second-highest T20 stand for any wicket against New Zealand. India scored 86 runs between overs 11 and 15, the second-highest by any Full Member nation.
Chasing a target of 272, New Zealand lost Tim Seifert in the first over, caught by Hardik Pandya off Arshdeep Singh. Finn Allen and Rachin Ravindra then added 100 runs for the second wicket.
Allen scored 80 runs off 38 balls, hitting eight fours and six sixes. Axar Patel dismissed Allen to give India a crucial breakthrough. New Zealand then lost three wickets within 20 runs.
Arshdeep Singh struck in the 12th and 16th overs, dismissing Rachin Ravindra, Mitchell Santner, Kyle Jamieson and Daryl Mitchell. He finished with figures of five wickets for 51 runs in four overs, registering his first T20 International five-wicket haul.
New Zealand were bowled out for 225 in 19.4 overs. Axar Patel took three wickets, while Varun Chakravarthy and Rinku Singh claimed one each. Jasprit Bumrah conceded runs but it did not affect India’s victory.
With this result, India won the five-match T20 series 4-1.
