In the 3rd T20I at Guwahati, the Powerplay was defined by a ruthless bowling display that dismantled the New Zealand top order within the first few minutes. After Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and opted to bowl, the Indian pace attack utilized the humid conditions to secure three massive breakthroughs. By the end of the sixth over, the Black Caps were reeling at 36/3, struggling to cope with India’s aggressive lengths and superior fielding.
Jasprit Bumrah delivers a peach to shatter Tim Seifert’s off-stump in Guwahati T20I
The dismissal of Tim Seifert at the 5.1-over mark was the definitive moment that sealed India’s dominance in the opening phase. Jasprit Bumrah, returning to the XI after being rested, needed just one delivery to make his presence felt. Charging in for his first ball of the spell, he unleashed a 137kph ‘seed’ that angled in sharply and maintained its searing pace off the pitch. Seifert, who had looked the most settled with 12 runs, was completely deceived by the trajectory as he looked to drive down the ground. Beaten on the outside edge, he could only watch in despair as his off-stump was uprooted and sent cartwheeling toward the leg side.
This first-ball beauty was the perfect follow-up to Harshit Rana‘s early strike, where Hardik Pandya plucked a screamer to remove Devon Conway (1), and Pandya’s own dismissal of Rachin Ravindra (4). The statistical dominance of the Indian pacers was evident as New Zealand limped to 36/3 by the end of the Powerplay, unable to find any rhythm against the trio of Rana, Hardik and Bumrah.
Here’s the video:
Jasprit Bumrah into the attack…
..And he starts off with a beauty 🤩🎯
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Also WATCH: IND vs NZ: Flying Hardik Pandya takes a blinder to remove Devon Conway in 3rd T20I
Glenn Phillips and Mark Chapman fight back for New Zealand in Guwahati T20I
The middle-over story was initially one of extreme pressure. Ravi Bishnoi and Kuldeep Yadav operated in tandem, with Bishnoi conceding just one run in his opening over to keep New Zealand pinned at 37/3 after 7 overs. However, the momentum shifted violently in the 9th over when Mark Chapman and Glenn Phillips decided to take on Kuldeep. Chapman broke the shackles with a massive six over midwicket, followed by Phillips lofting a leg-break over long-on for another maximum, plucking 19 runs from the over. This aggression continued against Shivam Dube in the 10th, where Chapman smashed a 93m six over extra cover to take the score to 75/3 at the halfway mark.
Just as the 50-run partnership threatened to take the game away, Suryakumar brought back Ravi Bishnoi for a second spell. The move paid off instantly in the 12th over; bowling a flatter, skidding delivery, Bishnoi induced a faint edge from Chapman (32 off 23), which was sharply taken by Sanju Samson. Despite the setback, Phillips continued the charge, pulling a short ball from Rana for a flat six to bring up the New Zealand 100 in the 14th over. By the end of the 14th, New Zealand sat at 105/4, with Phillips (43) and Daryl Mitchell attempting to launch a final assault against India’s death-overs specialist, Bumrah.
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