Sports

Ton-up Gill powers India to series win

By AFP

February 02, 2023

AHMEDABAD: Opener Shubman Gill struck his maiden T20I century and skipper Hardik Pandya took four wickets as India crushed New Zealand in the third and deciding match of their home series here on Wednesday. Pandya took four for 16 while Arshdeep Singh, Umran Malik and Shivam Mavi got two each to bowl the visitors out for just 66 in the 13th over, winning the match by 168 runs.

Daryl Mitchell 35 off 25 balls. Mitchell Santner was the only other batsman to manage double figures with 13 runs.

Earlier, Gill made an unbeaten 126 in 63 balls and put on 103 runs with Pandya for the fourth wicket to take India to a mammoth 234-4 in their 20 overs.

The hosts elected to bat first and Gill scored his first T20 fifty for the national side and converted it into a hundred at the batting-friendly wicket.

Off-spinner Michael Bracewell struck early as he got the left-handed Ishan Kishan lbw for one in the second over of the innings at the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium.

Gill, 23, hit back with a flurry of boundaries including three in one over off Blair Tickner and Rahul Tripathi, who hit 44, joined the charge as the two put on 80 runs.

Tripathi smashed three sixes including one off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi only to get caught out next ball in another attempt to clear the ropes.

Gill, who became only the fifth Indian batsman to record centuries across all three formats, found another attacking partner in Suryakumar Yadav, who hit 24 off 13 balls.

Tickner cut short Suryakumar´s stay at the wicket with Bracewell taking a sharp catch at mid-on.

But the unstoppable Gill changed gears and raised his ton off 54 balls with a boundary as he took off his helmet and let off a roar.

Pandya fell for 30 but Gill remained unconquered to hand The Black Caps a target of 235.

Score Board

India won the toss

India

Ishan lbw Michael Bracewell 1

Gill not out 126

Tripathi c Ferguson b Sodhi 44

Suryakumar c Bracewell b Tickner 24

Hardik CPT c Bracewell b Mitchell 30

Deepak Hooda not out 2

Extras: (w 4, b 2, lb 1) 7

Total: 20 Ov 234/4

Did not bat: Washington Sundar, Shivam Mavi, Kuldeep Yadav, Umran Malik, Arshdeep Singh

Fall: 1-7, 2-87, 3-125, 4-228

Bowling: Benjamin Lister 4-0-42-0; Michael Bracewell 1-0-8-1; Lockie Ferguson 4-0-54-0; Blair Tickner 3-0-50-1; Ish Sodhi 3-0-34-1; Mitch Santner 4-0-37-0; Daryl Mitchell 1-0-6-1

New Zealand

Allen c Suryakumar b Hardik 3

Conway c Hardik b Arshdeep 1

Chapman c Ishan b Arshdeep 0

Glenn c Suryakumar b Hardik 2

Daryl c Shivam b Umran 35

Bracewell b Umran 8

Santner c Suryakumar b Shivam 13

Sodhi c Tripathi b Shivam 0

Ferguson c Umran b Hardik 0

Tickner c Ishan b Hardik 1

Benjamin Lister not out 0