India bundled out New Zealand for a paltry 66 in third T20I at Ahmedabad.
Opting to bat first, the Men in Blue rode on opener Shubman Gill’s whirlwind 126 not out off 63 balls to pile up a gigantic 234/4 in their allotted 20 overs.
Defending the massive total, Indian bowlers, led by skipper Hardik Pandya, ran through the Kiwi batting line-up, bundling out the visitors for a paltry 66 in 12.1 overs.
While Hardik returned with his career-best T20I figures of 4 for 16 in his four overs, the pace troika of Umran Malik (2-9), Arshdeep Singh (2-16), and Shivam Mavi (2-12) picked two scalps each as India registered their biggest ever win in T20Is in terms of runs.
After the game, former Pakistan cricketer Ramiz Raja praised the Indian bowling attack, claiming that they have emulated Pakistan's template while designing their bowling structure.
“I often feel India took a look at Pakistan and designed their bowling attack the same way. Umran Malik has pace just like Haris Rauf, Arshdeep brings the left-arm angle like Shaheen Afridi. Wasim Jr. chips in during the middle-overs and so does Hardik Pandya, both have the same pace as well. Shivam Mavi also plays the role of a supporting bowler,” Ramiz said on his official YouTube channel.
“India's spin department is a bit better than Pakistan. I always look at what Pakistan need to improve whenever I see both sides playing,” the former PCB chairman further added.
India’s bowling performance augurs well for the team in the ODI World Cup year. The 50-over showpiece tournament is slated to be held in India in October-November 2023.