Kamal Ghorui
Mohammad Amir questioned New Zealand’s tactics, saying on the ‘Haarna Mana Hai’ show that he didn’t understand the bowling changes, pointing out that India deserved credit but criticizing the decision to bring in Jacob Duffy against Abhishek Sharma. The Black Caps lost the final by 96 runs at Narendra Modi Stadium on Sunday, giving India their third T20 World Cup title.
With this win, India became the first team to defend the T20 World Cup and the first to win it on home soil. The match was effectively decided when India posted a huge total of 255 runs.NZ won the toss and elected to field first. However, a return-to-form, record-breaking fifty from Abhishek Sharma (52 in 21 balls, with six fours and three sixes) and his 98-run stand with Samson made NZ regret the decision. Later, Samson stitched a century stand with Ishan Kishan (54 in 25 balls, with four boundaries and four sixes) to take India past the 200-run mark in the 16th over. After a brief slowdown, Shivam Dube (26* in eight balls, with three fours and two sixes) made some valuable runs to take India to 255/5, the highest total in T20 WC finals.In the run-chase of 256 runs, Axar and Bumrah helped India reduce the Kiwis to 72/5, despite a half-century from Tim Seifert (52 in 26 balls, with two fours and five sixes). Despite a brief partnership between Daryl Mitchell (17) and skipper Mitchell Santner (43 in 35 balls, with three fours and two sixes), India kept chipping in with wickets, and the Kiwis were bundled out for just 159 runs.“Credit to New Zealand bowlers. They were bowling wides and were being hit for sixes from there. It’s not like India doesn’t deserve any credit. I just didn’t understand the bowling changes. When you know Abhishek Sharma struggles against spinners, you bring in Jacob Duffy,” said Amir. “I have never seen New Zealand under such pressure. I have been following them since 2005 but I have never seen them under pressure,” he added.
