Mount Maunganui: The last two T20 games prior to the fifth T20I here had not been very good for Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. However, the pacer was on song here at the Bay Oval ground as India won the game to sweep the series. In the process Bumrah also created a world record.
Bumrah bowled a maiden over in his spell of 4-1-12-3, Sunday. This was his seventh maiden in T20 internationals and he thus became the first bowler to achieve such a feat. The earlier record belonged to Sri Lankan Nuwan Kulasekara who had bowled six maiden overs in his 58-game T20I career. For those who have forgotten who Kulasekara is, he is the bowler whom MS Dhoni hit for the winnings six in the 2011 World Cup final.
It was indeed a historic whitewash over New Zealand with the Indian team becoming the first side to register a series sweep in a bilateral five-match T20I series.
For his impressive outing with the ball, Jasprit Bumrah was adjudged the player of the match.
It has indeed been a brilliant series for India who won two games in Super Overs fighting back from the brink of defeat. Even though Sunday was another close affair, the fate of the game was never in doubt once Ross Taylor was dismissed.
Bumrah picked up the wickets of Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell and Tim Southee. While Guptill fell leg before the two other Kiwi batsmen were bowled by Bumrah’s trademark yorkers.
PNN & Agencies