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New Zealand batter Finn Allen impressed in defeat, striking the fastest fifty by a Kiwi batter against India in T20Is during the fifth and final T20I of the series at Thiruvananthapuram.
During a daunting run-chase of 272 runs, Allen took the task head-on, scoring a 22-ball fifty and ending up with a 38-ball 80, with eight fours and six sixes during his knock. His runs came at a strike rate of 210.53. He is also the fourth player to score a fifty against India in T20Is within the powerplay, alongside Litton Das (56* in 24 balls, 2022 in the T20 World Cup), Cameron Green (52 in 21 balls at Hyderabad 2022), and West Indies' Johnson Charles (51* in 21 balls at Lauderhill in 2016). The fastest fifty for a Kiwi batter was made by Colin Munro in just 14 balls against Sri Lanka in 2016 and is the joint-fourth-fastest T20I fifty in history. Making his return to the Kiwi side after a successful Big Bash League (BBL) for Perth Scorchers, during which he contributed a chart-topping 466 runs in 11 matches in their title win at an average of 42.36, a strike rate of 184.18, including a century and two fifties, Allen has sent out a warning to the opposition that he is up to chase anything and no one will be left spared. In the match, India won the toss and chose to bat first. While Sanju fell to a single-digit score, Abhishek Sharma (30 in 16 balls, with four boundaries and two sixes) also fell, leaving India at 48/2. A 137-run stand between Ishan Kishan (103 in 43 balls, with six fours and 10 sixes) and skipper Suryakumar Yadav (63 in 30 balls, with four boundaries and six sixes) enthralled the audience. Later on, a cameo from Hardik Pandya (42 in 17 balls, with a four and four sixes) took India to 271/5 in 20 overs. Lockie Ferguson (2/41) was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand, while Jacob Duffy (1/53), Kyle Jamieson (1/59) and Mitchell Santner (1/60) leaked runs. In the run-chase, after Kiwis lost Tim Seifert early, a century stand between Allen (80 in 38 balls, with eight fours and six sixes) and Rachin Ravindra (30 in 17 balls, with two fours and two sixes) threatened to make India sweat. However, Arshdeep Singh (5/51) and Axar Patel (3/33) ripped apart the Kiwi middle-order and they were skittled out for 225 runs after being 191/9 at one point. India has won the series 4-1. (ANI)
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