The fifth and final Twenty20 International (T20I) between New Zealand and India at Mount Maunganui on Sunday witnessed quite a few thrilling moments. Hosts New Zealand, chasing a target of 164, ended up on 156/9 as India clinched the series 5-0.
The Kiwis' chase saw Sanju Samson come up with an acrobatic effort to save a certain six, while Shivam Dube had a game to forget as he went for 34 off his lone over before Jasprit Bumrah turned the game India's way with splendid figures of 3/12 from his quota of four overs.
Sanju, who managed only two in the Indian innings, showed his athleticism as Ross Taylor pulled one to the short mid-wicket boundary off Shardul Thakur's bowling in the eighth over of the innings. Sanju produced a magnificent leap parallel to the ground and flicked the ball mid-air before landing beyond the ropes. He saved four runs as the Kiwi pair of Taylor and Tim Seifert could only go through for a couple.
Dube was taken to the cleaners by Taylor and Seifert in the 10th over of the innings. Seifert smashed the first two balls for sixes before scoring a boundary off the third. The New Zealand wicketkeeper picked up a single off the next ball before Taylor took charge.
Taylor scored a four off the fifth ball, which also proved to be a no-ball. The resultant free hit and the last ball also ended in sixes as the over cost the Mumbai all-rounder 34 runs.
Seifert picked up 17 (6,6,4,1) off the over while Taylor amassed 16 (4,6,6) and the no-ball resulted in an extra.
Only England pacer Stuart Broad has gone for more runs in a single over in a T20I. Broad leaked 36 runs as Yuvraj Singh smashed six sixes off his bowling in a Super Eight match in the inaugural ICC World T20 in 2007.
Thankfully for India and Dube, Bumrah came back to complete a turnaround.
