Suryakumar Yadav rightly took the limelight during the 2nd T20I between India and New Zealand played in Mount Maunganui thanks to a jaw-dropping innings but there were two other notable performances as well which took the backseat.
During Indian innings final over, Tim Southee became just the second bowler in T20I history to claim two hat-tricks after Sri Lanka legend Lasith Malinga. Southee accounted for Hardik Pandya, Deepak Hooda and Washington Sundar to achieve the feat.
And then part-timer Deepak Hooda also came agonisingly close to a hat-trick of his own as well when he dismissed Ish Sodhi and Southee off successive deliveries in the 19th over. However, Lockie Ferguson successfully negotiated the hat-trick delivery as he took a single but Hooda did take the third wicket in the over off the next delivery when he got rid of Adam Mile on 6.
With that, New Zealand were skittled for 126 in chase of 192 as India won by 65 runs to take an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-match series – the first T20I was abandoned without toss due to rain.
Hooda thus finished stunning figures 4/10 from just 2.5 overs and broke the record for the best bowling figures in a T20I between India and New Zealand.
Hooda is the first Indian bowler to register a four-fer in T20Is between India and New Zealand. Overall, he’s the fourth to do so after Daniel Vettori (4/20), Mitchell Santner (4/11) and Trent Boult (4/34).
India captain Hardik Pandya praised the bowlers for their combined display as they tied down the New Zealand batters despite the ball getting wet.
“Bowlers did well and it was about being aggressive in the mindset,” Pandya said after the match. “It doesn’t mean taking a wicket every ball, but being aggressive with the ball is important. The conditions were very wet, so credit to the bowlers.”
Pandya himself didn’t bowl during the contest but said he wants to see what other batters can do with the ball in their hands. “I have bowled a lot, going forward I want to see more bowling options. Not always that this will work but I want more batters to chip in with the ball,” he said.
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