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'India would have been disappointed': Wasim Jaffer on effect of Arshdeep Singh's 27-run over on team in 1st T20I vs NZ
New Zealand got a major boost in the final over of their innings with Daryl Mitchell smashing Arshdeep Singh to all parts of the ground in Ranchi.
India started their three-match T20I series against New Zealand with a 21-run loss in Ranchi on Friday but they had their opponents under control for much of the BlackCaps' innings. Captain Hardik Pandya had won the toss and chosen to bowl and while New Zealand managed to keep a good run rate for much of the innings due to Finn Allen first and then Devon Conway, India had pulled things back in the death overs.
That was until the 20th over, in which Daryl Mitchell helped the visitors smash 27 runs, which all but became the margin of victory for New Zealand. Arshdeep Singh was the bowler at the receiving end of the onslaught and his woes really started with the fact that the first ball he bowled, which was hit for a six, was also a no-ball. The free-hit delivery then disappeared for six as well, as did the next delivery, thus making it 19 runs off the first two legal deliveries. Mitchell then hit a four off the third ball, thus making it 23 off the first three deliveries.
Arshdeep then bowled three back to back yorkers but the damage had been done. Former India opener Wasim Jaffer had said that while India's poor batting later meant that even a target of 160 would have been difficult for them, it would have been psychologically better for them to have been chasing that rather than 177.
“(New Zealand) got a good start as well. Finn Allen and Devon Conway gave them a swashbuckling start before Washington Sundar came out and put a break on the scoring. The spinners bowled really well,” said Jaffer on ESPNCricinfo.
“But that last over, India would have been happier going in with around 160 to chase. Even though they would have lost the way they batted, psychologically, when you get a team out under or around 160, (is different from) around 180. That over cost India quite a bit. India would be disappointed, Arshdeep would have been disappointed. But full credit to Daryl Mitchell, the way he struck the ball and the way that last over turned out to be and the way Mitchell Santner bowled and captained the side. He was spot on today,” he said.
India's top three batters for a combined 15 runs. While Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya then gave them some hope with a 68-run stand for the fourth wicket, the pair's dismissal led to another collapse that pretty much ended the Indian challenge. Washington Sundar kept things going till the end, eventually scoring 50 off 28 balls before falling on the second last ball of the innings.
