India 191 for 6 (Surya Kumar 111*, Kishan 36, Southee 3-34) New Zealand 126 (Williamson 61, Hooda 4-10, Siraj 2-24) by 65 runs
Hardik Pandya just watched from the other end as Surya Kumar toyed with an international bowling line-up that he found ordinary. And with 192 to chase, New Zealand’s chase crawled from the start: their powerplay managed just 32 runs with just three fours, perhaps laying the perfect foundation for them to fail. And with Glenn Phillips at 85 for 3 after 12 overs, a required run rate of over 13 per over meant the match was still to be decided.
Surya Kumar defies logic, bowling and everything else.
In what is shaping up to be a defining year for him – he is already the highest run-scorer in T20Is in 2022 – Surya Kumar’s second T20I century of the year was perhaps only different in that it was the winning goal. i came
Despite losing two consecutive balls earlier, Surya Kumar took his trademark scoop for four over the wicketkeeper’s head on just the fourth ball. Typical T20 stuff: swing and a miss, but not worried about the next ball.
Ishan Kishan continued to struggle after Rishabh Pant fell to a low score that he concussed himself, but Surya Kumar knew there was only one way to go, especially with rain in the air. The rest of India’s batting scored 69 runs from as many balls – there were 11 extras in total – and it told the story of how miles Suryakumar was ahead of his teammates.
His first six came from Mitchell Santner, as he received a delivery from wide off outside off and collected it over fine leg. Lofts on the offside followed: Santner’s first ball of the 11th over was cut behind point, and Ash Sodhi’s 12th ball was elbowed high to deep extra cover.
But Surya Kumar had a special treat for Lokky Ferguson: with eight overs to go and India’s total still under a hundred, he hit the pacer for a four and a six respectively. This was Act 1 of Surya Kumar v Ferguson.
Surya Kumar made his 32-ball fifty in the 16th over, and as time ran out, the southpaw moved in to start the 17th over: a six over midwicket, and a four for four in the same area. Rubbish, though it helped. Misfield Two balls later, he adjusts for a thrash on a short outside off despite making room early.
Runs came from everywhere: inside-out peak over cover and mid-off, and whips and flicks over fine leg. The platform was laid for Act 2 of Surya Kumar vs Ferguson: 4, 0, 4, 4, 4, 6 in the 19th over. A third boundary completed his century off 49 balls, but three other shots were jaw-dropping: the first four were cut short on the third after opening the face of the bat too late, the fifth tickled over the wicketkeeper despite short length and The ball rose close to his shoulder, and the six was again bowled over short third as he opened the face of the bat to a length that looked too full to even go through.
New Zealand limp in big chase
New Zealand’s required rate exceeded 11 after the first six overs, the only phase after which they looked to be attacking. Williamson and Dion Conway put on 17 in Washington Sundar’s first over, before he responded by dismissing Conway on the first ball of the ninth for 25 off 22 balls.
After Phillips’ six, Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, James Neesham and Mitchell Santner did not hit a single boundary in 33 balls, by which time New Zealand’s fate was almost sealed. They were 111 for 6 after 17 overs, after which Williamson scored a fifty off his 48th ball.
Himanshu Agarwal is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo.
