Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 31 (PTI) A popular Sanju Samson blitz eluded the legion of fans, but their dejection was washed away by centurion Ishan Kishan’s sensational shot-making as India posted a massive
271 for five against New Zealand in the fifth and final T20I here on Saturday.
Kishan (103, 43 balls, 6×4, 10×6), who struck his maiden hundred in the format, and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (63, 30b, 4×4, 6×6) treated the Kiwis bowlers with utter disdain during their 137-run third wicket stand which came in just over 10 overs.
Openers Samson (6), whose fifth successive failure in this series now casts a huge shadow over his T20 World Cup prospects could not get going, falling to pacer Lockie Ferguson. Abhishek Sharma (30 off 16 balls) gave a solid start but extra pace from Ferguson did him in.
But India found some fresh wind soon through Suryakumar and Kishan after a relatively tepid power play phase — 54 for two.
Kishan, who missed the fourth T20I with an unspecified injury, showed no trace of rust, putting the New Zealand bowlers through the wringer with his fast hands and nimble feet.
The left-hander started his carnage, smashing Ferguson for a four and six over extra over and the runs never really stopped thereafter.
Kishan brought his 50 in 28 balls with a four off Ish Sodhi and Suryakumar, who also completed 3000 runs in T20Is, went past the mark in two fewer balls with a six off Jacob Duffy.
Kishan, who completed 1000 T20I runs, was severe on Sodhi, creaming the leg-spinner for 29 runs in the 12th over and the sequence of his big-hits read — 4, 4, 4, 6, 4, 6.
Suryakumar departed in between, getting stumped by Tim Seifert while giving a charge to his opposite number and left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner.
But that did not deter Kishan.
The Jharkhand man soon reached the cherished three-figure mark in 42 balls — a six off Santner took him to 97 and the subsequent one carried him past the landmark, which he celebrated with gusto before melting into Hardik Pandya’s bear hug. Kishan’s second fifty came off just 14 balls.
The Kishan show finally ended when he was taken at square leg by Glenn Phillips off Duffy, and walked back to the hut accompanied by cheers and whistles.
Pandya’s strong hits (42 off 17 balls) towards the end ensured that India went past the 250-run mark for the fourth time in their T20I history. PTI UNG KHS
