The fifth and final T20I between New Zealand and India at Bay Oval saw a moment of brilliance on the field from Sanju Samson.
The incident happened in the eighth over of the second innings when Ross Taylor was on strike, and stand-in skipper KL Rahul handed Shardul Thakur the ball. The former Kiwi skipper attempted a well-timed pull stroke off Thakur. Most fans and players had anticipated that the ball would certainly cross the boundary rope, but it did not happen.
Samson, who was standing near the ropes calmly waited for the ball to come. But soon, the Kerela player realized that it would take an exceptional effort to save a few runs for his side. Hence, he took a long leap towards the boundary and grabbed the ball in his hand.
The 25-year-old, who was in the air for a moment, displayed a brilliant presence of mind and threw the ball inside the boundary rope before landing on the ground. And, he successfully managed to save four runs for his team.
— Kumar Sourav (@AdamDhoni1) February 2, 2020
Meanwhile, India won the game by seven runs. Batting first, the Men in Blue posted a total of 163/3 on the board. Rohit Sharma top-scored for the hosts, scoring 60 before retiring hurt. In reply, New Zealand ended up on 156 for 9. The hosts were off to a disastrous start as they were reduced to 17 for 3.
However, a 99-run stand between Tim Seifert and Ross Taylor put them in a strong position before they suffered an almighty collapse. Both Taylor and Seifert scored half-centuries, but their efforts were not enough to seal a win for the Black Caps.
