India 191 for six (Suryakumar 111*, Kishan 36, Southee 3-34) beat New Zealand 126 (Williamson 61, Hooda 4-10, Siraj 2-24) by 65 runs
Hardik Pandya simply watched from the opposite finish as Suryakumar toyed with a world bowling line-up which he made look unusual. And with 192 to get, New Zealand’s chase solely stored crawling from the beginning: their powerplay fetched simply 32 runs with solely three boundaries, laying maybe the right basis for them to flounder; and at 85 for 3 after 12 overs with Glenn Phillips gone, the required run price of above 13 an over meant the match was all however determined.
Suryakumar defies logic, the bowling, and the whole lot else
In what is popping out to be a defining yr for him – he’s already the very best run-getter in T20Is in 2022 – Suryakumar’s second T20I century of the yr was maybe totally different solely in that it got here in a successful trigger.
Suryakumar introduced out his trademark scoop for 4 over the wicketkeeper’s head simply fourth ball regardless of being overwhelmed for 2 consecutive deliveries earlier than it. Typical T20 stuff: swing and a miss, however not bothered about subsequent ball.
Ishan Kishan stored struggling after Rishabh Pant fell for a low rating for which he had jostled himself, however Suryakumar knew he needed to go just one manner, particularly with rain within the air. The remainder of India’s batting scored 69 in as many deliveries – there have been 11 extras too within the whole – and that informed the story of what number of miles forward Suryakumar was of his team-mates.
His first six got here off Mitchell Santner, as he fetched a ball from huge exterior off solely to slog sweep and deposit it over advantageous leg. Then got here the lofts over the off aspect: Santner’s first ball off the eleventh over was scythed behind level, and Ish Sodhi’s first of the twelfth was positioned to deep additional cowl with excessive elbows.
However Suryakumar had reserved particular remedy for Lockie Ferguson: with eight overs to go and India’s whole nonetheless beneath 100, he drove and whipped the quick bowler for a 4 and 6, respectively. That was Act 1 of Suryakumar vs Ferguson.
Suryakumar introduced up his fifty off 32 balls within the sixteenth over, and with time operating out, bought into Southee to begin the seventeenth: a six swung throughout the road over midwicket, and a whip to the identical area for 4, albeit helped by a misfield. Two balls later, he adjusted to thrash at a brief ball exterior off regardless of making room early.
Runs got here from all over the place: inside-out lofts over cowl and mid-off, and whips and flicks over advantageous leg. The platform for Act 2 of Suryakumar vs Ferguson had been laid: 4, 0, 4, 4, 4, 6 within the nineteenth over. The third boundary introduced up his hundred off 49 balls, however three different photographs have been jaw-dropping: the primary 4 was sliced over quick third after opening the bat face very late, the fifth was tickled over the wicketkeeper despite the quick size and the ball rising near his shoulder, and the six was flung over quick third once more as he opened the bat face to a size that appeared too full to actually have a go.
New Zealand limp in large chase
New Zealand’s required price had raced previous 11 after the primary six overs, after which got here the one part once they appeared like attacking. Williamson and Devon Conway picked 17 off Washington Sundar’s first over, earlier than he hit again by dismissing Conway first ball of the ninth for a tame 25 off 22 deliveries.
Not a single boundary was hit between Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner for 33 balls after that six from Phillips, by which era, New Zealand’s destiny was almost sealed. They have been 111 for six after 17 overs, after which Williamson bought to his fifty off his forty eighth supply.
Himanshu Agrawal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo