India Steamroll New Zealand in 3rd T20I, Seal Series with Two Matches to Spare

 

In a near-perfect dress rehearsal ahead of the T20 World Cup, defending champions India passed the test with flying colours. Suryakumar Yadav’s men clinched the five-match series against New Zealand with two games still to be played, delivering dominant performances in every encounter. With the World Cup set to begin on home soil in a fortnight, Indian cricket fans have every reason to be optimistic about another title run.

India’s fortune smiled in Guwahati as captain Suryakumar won the toss and opted to field first. Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi returned to the side, and the team management’s decision paid rich dividends. The duo dismantled the Kiwi batting line-up, sharing five wickets between them while conceding just 35 runs in eight overs. Despite a disciplined bowling display, New Zealand somehow managed to crawl past the 150 mark. However, the modest target was never going to trouble India’s explosive batting unit, which chased it down with ease to seal the series.

New Zealand’s innings got off to a disastrous start as they lost three quick wickets, slipping into deep trouble early on. Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman attempted a recovery with a 51-run partnership, but scoring remained a struggle throughout. Devon Conway, in particular, had to fight hard for every run. At the end of 20 overs, the Kiwis limped to 153. Bumrah claimed three wickets, Bishnoi took two, while Hardik Pandya and Harshit picked up one each.

Chasing 154, India suffered an early setback as Sanju Samson was dismissed on the very first ball. But that did little to dent their confidence. Abhishek Sharma once again unleashed his destructive best, supported by Ishan Kishan, who struck a couple of towering sixes before falling for 28. From there, Abhishek joined forces with the skipper to finish the game in emphatic style. Abhishek smashed a breathtaking 68 off just 20 balls at a staggering strike rate of 340. Suryakumar also registered his second consecutive half-century, a reassuring sign of form ahead of the World Cup.

With both captain and young stars firing in unison, India look well on track as serious contenders for yet another global triumph.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Christmas Special : Top 20 Churches in India- A brief introduction

Image
  Top 20 Churches in India India’s Christian heritage spans nearly two millennia, reflecting apostolic traditions, colonial influences, and indigenous expressions of faith. These churches stand out for their historical importance, architectural grandeur, spiritual significance, and cultural legacy. 1. Basilica of Bom Jesus – Goa Founded: 1605 Significance: Houses the mortal remains of St. Francis Xavier Style: Baroque Legacy: UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most important Christian pilgrimage centres in Asia 2. Se Cathedral – Old Goa Founded: 1562 Significance: One of the largest churches in Asia Style: Portuguese-Gothic Legacy: Symbol of Portuguese ecclesiastical power in India 3. Santhome Basilica – Chennai Founded: 16th century Significance: Built over the tomb of St. Thomas the Apostle Style: Neo-Gothic Legacy: One of only three churches in the world built over an apostle’s tomb 4. Velankanni Basilica – Tamil Nadu Founded: 16th century Significance: Known as the “Lour...
Read more

Desserts: Ssiat Hotteok - How to prepare this Korean pancake

Image
Ssiat Hotteok  is a variation of Hotteok , a popular Korean stuffed pancake. While traditional Hotteok is filled with brown sugar, cinnamon, and peanuts, Ssiat Hotteok is unique to Busan , where it includes a crunchy filling of various seeds (most commonly sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, and more) in addition to the sweet syrup. Hot, chewy on the outside and oozing with a nutty, sugary crunch on the inside, Ssiat Hotteok is especially popular in colder months and a must-try for food lovers visiting Korea. Ingredients For the Dough: 2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 cup glutinous rice flour (for chewiness) 1 tbsp sugar 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp instant dry yeast 3/4 cup warm water (more as needed) 2 tbsp milk (optional, for richer dough) 1 tbsp vegetable oil (plus more for frying) For the Filling: 1/3 cup brown sugar 1 tsp cinnamon powder 1/4 cup chopped peanuts or walnuts (optional) For the Seed Mix: 1/4 cup sunflower seeds (hulled) 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds ...
Read more

Desserts : Kosar Laddu - How to make this Indian festive sweet item

Image
  Kosar Laddu is a traditional homemade sweet that stands out for its simplicity and rich, rustic flavour. Made with rice flour, jaggery, ghee and aromatic fennel, this laddu is soft, mildly sweet and perfect for festive occasions or as a comforting treat with tea. Ingredients : 1 cup rice flour ½ cup jaggery ½ cup ghee A pinch of salt 1 teaspoon fennel seed powder 1 cup milk Method : First, sift the rice flour thoroughly and transfer it to a mixing bowl. Add the ghee, salt and fennel seed powder, and mix well. Gradually add milk as required and knead to form a smooth dough. Ensure that the dough is neither too soft nor too stiff. Once the dough is ready, grease your palms lightly with ghee. Take small portions of the dough and shape them into round laddus, just as you would make traditional laddus by hand. Your Kosar Laddus are now ready to be served.
Read more