Team India registered a comprehensive 73-run victory over New Zealand in the final T20I at Eden Gardens on Sunday (November 21) to complete a 3-0 series whitewash.
While India’s newly appointed head coach Rahul Dravid feels good about the performance, he isn’t reading too much into the overall outcome with the Kiwis having to play the series three days after the T20 World Cup final 2021.
Furthermore, both the teams were missing the services of some of their key players as they were rested to manage workload.
“It was a really good series win. Everyone played really well right through the series. It feels good, nice to start well. We are also quite realistic. We have to keep our feet on the ground and be a bit realistic about this win,” Dravid said at the post-match presentation ceremony.
The BlackCaps had landed in Jaipur less than 24 hours after losing the T20 World Cup 2021 final to Australia in Dubai on November 14.
“Not easy for NZ to play a World Cup final and then to turn up three days later and play three games in six days, was never going to be easy for them. It was nice from our perspective but we have to learn from this series and move forward.
“It’s a long journey ahead over the next two years and we’ll have our share of ups and downs.”
India rested the likes of Virat Kohli, Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Ravindra Jadeja while New Zealand’s regular skipper Kane Williamson skipped the T20I series.
As a result, the hosts handed debut caps to IPL performers such as Venkatesh Iyer and Harshal Patel in the series.
“It’s been really good to see some of the young guys come through. We have given opportunities to some of the boys who haven’t played a lot of cricket over the last few months.
“We have seen some of the skills available to us and we have to keep building on those skills as we go forward. It’s going to be a long season between now and the next World Cup being realistic with how much cricket some of our experienced players will play,” Dravid concluded.
(With PTI inputs)
