India and New Zealand clashed against each other in the third and final match of the T20I series in Rajkot on Saturday, January 7. Indian captain Hardik Pandya decided to bat after winning the toss. There was no change in the Indian team and they ended up winning the final match of the series by 91 runs.
The hosts posted a mammoth total in this series decider after opting to bat. Ishan Kishan fell early, Shubman Gill took ten balls to get off the mark and it was Rahul Tripathi,who ensured that India had a good powerplay. The Indian No. 3 perished in the final over of the powerplay and in arrived Suryakumar Yadav. The Indian star batsman wasted little time getting off the blocks and he did what only he can do.
Shots all around the park, treating every bowler with disdain and he notched up his third T20I century. The Sri Lankan bowlers couldn't do anything to stop him. They managed to remove his batting partners but that hardly had an impact on India's scoring rate. Axar Patel continued from where he left in the previous game and played a little cameo toward the end.
Sri Lanka performed well in the series
Coming in to bat, Kusal Mendis started well with a flurry of strokes but once India adjusted their lines and lengths, the visitors simply fizzled away. All the bowlers had a good time out there, notably the spinners who did a fine job.
There was a bit of grip for the slower deliveries, and that makes SKY's innings all the more incredible. A complete no-contest in the run chase. It's not every day that a team successfully chase down a 220-plus score and the pressure was too much for the young Lankan side to handle.
The score was about 20-30 runs above par and India were clinical in their plans with the ball. Hardik will be happy with his team's attitude in this decider game, especially considering how the bowling was taken apart in the last game at Pune. For Sri Lanka, there are a lot of positives from the series, because they did stretch India in two out of the three games.
Here's how fans reacted:
Congratulations Team India Series victory ❤️ T20 series #INDvSL
— Raj Chauhan (@RajChau98057639) January 7, 2023
Warrrrrra captain pandya is
— KEY()R (@pant4life) January 7, 2023
Must need in white ( IN ODI S AS WELL)#INDvSL
why pace matters #UmranMalik #INDvSL pic.twitter.com/OkywAeE9CE
— naashonomics (@naashonomics) January 7, 2023
WAAAH ARSHDEEPAAAA!!! WE WON!!!#INDvSL
— Abhi (@ya_abhii) January 7, 2023
Terrific SKY 🔥🔥 #SuryakumarYadav
— Debojit Nath (@nathdebojit24) January 7, 2023
Best t20 cricket on the planet right now @surya_14kumar #SuryakumarYadav #Mr360 pic.twitter.com/3nIFpni1j5
— Sachin pandey (@Sachinpandey652) January 7, 2023
The only difference between India and Srilanka was Suryakumar Yadav #suryakumar #INDvSL
— Mandar Deodhar (@MandarDeodhar4) January 7, 2023
Wonderful winning with a marvelous start 🥳❤️ This is also India's 25th bilateral series win against Sri Lanka in India.
— Rosh_Ravi (@RoshRoshena) January 7, 2023
Unforgettable memory of 2023 #INDvSL #TeamIndia here we go🥳🥳💙💙🇮🇳🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/rRTAYtm1hV