2 mistakes and 1 masterstroke by India in the 3rd T20I against New Zealand

On the back of a sensational century from Shubman Gill and an all-round bowling performance, Team India thrashed New Zealand by 168 runs in a one-sided contest in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 1.

It's perhaps a touch harsh to find fault in such a comprehensive victory, which featured superb performances from not just Gill but a number of other Indian players. But the Men in Blue need to be close to perfect in the lead-up to the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Here are two mistakes and one masterstroke by India in the third T20I against New Zealand.

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#3 Mistake - Hardik Pandya's usage of bowlers

Although Arshdeep Singh and Shivam Mavi were underbowled in the first two T20Is, captain Hardik Pandya opted to bowl out his entire quote of four overs. Arshdeep and Mavi, meanwhile, bowled a combined five overs.

It was understandable that Hardik wanted to take the new ball, given he has started to perform that role on a regular basis. But once New Zealand lost three wickets in the first two overs, it was the perfect time to test Mavi out with the new ball, which he can swing considerably.

Even after the powerplay, Hardik decided to bowl out. His performance could not be questioned as he returned four wickets and walked away with the Player of the Series award, but he really needs to give his players more time in the middle.

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#2 Masterstroke - Backing Shubman Gill and supporting him with intent-rich batters

After failures in most of his first five T20I innings, Shubman Gill desperately needed a good showing in Ahmedabad. It would've been reasonable for India to drop the in-form opener and bring in Prithvi Shaw, but they stuck to their guns.

It paid off handsomely as Gill became the youngest Indian batter to record a century in all three international formats. He had support from the likes of Rahul Tripathi and Suryakumar Yadav, who injected momentum into the innings like only they can.

Gill was bound to crack the T20I code at some point, and picking him in the playing XI has always been India's best bet at unlocking his potential. Surrounding him with Tripathi and Suryakumar helped, too. His opening partner, on the other hand...

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#1 Mistake - Picking Ishan Kishan for the decider

Despite his record-breaking ODI double century, Ishan Kishan has been in a rough patch in white-ball cricket of late. He has various limitations as a batter and has been found wanting against quality attacks.

With Kishan having failed to deliver often, India had the perfect opportunity to replace him with Prithvi Shaw and bring Jitesh Sharma into the fold. The Men in Blue have been crying out for a finisher, with Hardik batting at No. 5 and Deepak Hooda struggling to accelerate in an unfamiliar role.

Both Shaw and Jitesh are part of the new generation of T20 batters and would've benefited majorly from the exposure that the high-pressure game would've brought. India have spoken about backing their players through thick and thin, but Kishan doesn't seem ready as of yet.