Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], February 1 : Following his side's win over New Zealand in the fifth T20I, Indian skipper Suryakumar Yadav spoke on a struggling Sanju Samson not keeping wickets in the second innings, saying that the plan was to have Ishan Kishan keep as well. He also hailed the latter as a "game-changer" with his batting.
Team India now heads to the T20 World Cup with a 4-1 series win over New Zealand. However, one puzzle left for them to figure out is whether to back Sanju after he could manage just 46 runs in five innings this series and has been on a lean patch since last year or to play a red-hot Ishan, initially included as his backup in the T20 World Cup as the first-choice opener and keeper.
Ishan has been on a consistent spree of runs and sixes since his side's maiden Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy (SMAT) win last year, top scoring with 517 runs in 10 innings, with two centuries and two fifties. Another century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy, a 39-ball 125 against Karnataka and 155 runs in three appearances at the 50-over competition followed before this comeback series. Ishan made the most of every chance he got, scoring 215 runs in four matches at an average of 53.75, with a century and a fifty and a best score of 103 today, in 43 balls, including six fours and 10 sixes.
When Ishan took the gloves in the second innings, it looked as if Ishan had outdone Samson to be the first choice, but Suryakumar has suggested that it was not the case, and the plan was to give them both a chance to keep wickets, with Ishan finally getting his chance today after missing the fourth T20I due to injury.
"Both keepers were playing since day one since Tilak (Varma) was not around. We had decided before the series that Sanju will keep wickets in three matches and Ishan in two. Ishan, unfortunately, missed the last game with a niggle, but he was anyway going to keep wickets today," he said.
On Ishan's hitting, which has now reignited debates over the first-choice keeper spot in the T20 World Cup, Surya said that the team was capable of Kishan's skillset and did not want him to change his game, as they looked at him as a "game-changer".
"We always knew what he brought to the table and saw how he batted in domestic cricket before this series. We wanted him to bat the same way and not change his identity. He was opening there, and here he was batting at number three. But we wanted him to be a game-changer, he has given a strong statement with the way he batted. I really enjoyed batting with him and Abhishek Sharma, they both take the opposition out of the game," he said.
Suryakumar also said that the wicket was "beautiful" and became even better when dew came in the latter part of the match.
In the match, India won the toss and chose to bat first. While Sanju fell to a single-digit score, Abhishek Sharma (30 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) also fell, leaving India at 48/2. A 137-run stand between Ishan Kishan (103 in 43 balls, with six fours and 10 sixes) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (63 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and six sixes) enthralled the audience. Later on, a cameo from Hardik Pandya (42 in 17 balls, with a four and four sixes) took India to 271/5 in 20 overs.
Lockie Ferguson (2/41) was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand, while Jacob Duffy (1/53), Kyle Jamieson (1/59) and Mitchell Santner (1/60) leaked runs.
In the run-chase, after the Kiwis lost Tim Seifert early, a century stand between Finn Allen (80 in 38 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) and Rachin Ravindra (30 in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) threatened to make India sweat. However, Arshdeep Singh (5/51) and Axar Patel (3/33) ripped apart the Kiwi middle order, and they were skittled out for 225 runs after being 191/9 at one point.