Tag Ind in NZ 2009 INDvNZ T20 2009

Not far are the days when ICC will have to rethink their minimum boundary length rule, cause world cricket is already into a phase where hitting sixes is safer than finding fours.

Record : 24 sixes hit in today T20 match between India & New Zealand (Full Scorecard). India and Australia held the previous record of most 6s in a 20 over match (20) when they played the semi-final match in T20 World Cup 2007 at Durban.

No more than 60 yards on either sides, AMI Stadium in Christchurch appeared even smaller today as Virendra Sehwag hit 6,6,6 of his first 3 balls. Sehwag's 10 ball 26, punctuated with 4 easy sixes, lifted India upto 32 in 3rd over, 54 in 5th over, almost 60 by the 6th over and 82 in the 10 over.. as you can see, Indian batsmen were scoring quickly but were returning to pavilion even rapidly.

Suresh Raina, the number 3 batter, held one end firm but neither Rohit Sharma (edged one to keeper) nor Yuvraj Singh (played too across too early against Vettori) or Captain Dhoni (bowled of a delivery that didn't bounce much) or Yusuf Pathan (3 sixes of 3 balls against Nathan McCullum, perished trying emulate Yuvraj's 6 sixes in an over) stayed at wicket long enough to gain the upper hand.

Harbhajan's 22 ball 21 cameo, plus Raina's last over slog helped India reach a respectable total = 162/8 in 20 overs.

"I'm satisfied with our bowling" said Mahendra Singh Dhoni in his post match interview, and correctly so. Ishant Sharma, Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh did everything the could but considering the smallish boundaries at Christchurch ground, asking runrate of 8 runs/over in an innings of 20 was never going to be enough. Brendon McCullum played the new role of finisher perfectly while Martin Guptill (41 off 28 balls) & Jacob Oram (29 off 15 balls) did the risk taking at the other end.

Note : India played with their new Jersey today, which is much darker blue than the one they use for the One day internationals. Ask me, I'll say the player numbers, behind their shirts, were the best part of this new Jersey. Sadly, beauty is not always lucky, as Indian lost their first match in new official dress today.

Note : Jacob Oram's catch today needs a mention too. Yusuf Pathan, going for his 4th 6 off 4th ball in the over, miss timed a delivery wide outside offstump which flew upto Jacob Oram at deep long on. Oram caught it, threw the ball up in air before his momentum took him past baundary ropes and came back to catch it again. I remember Adam Voges of Australia doing the same against Kiwis in Twenty20 International a week ago. Oram's catch wasn't as spectacular as was Voges' effort, but a might fine piece of fielding never the less.