Tim David continues his rise as world-class T20 finisher by smashing 31 unbeaten runs in only 10 balls in the first T20I against New Zealand, and winning Australia a last-ball thriller with his power-hitting.
One of the most destructive T20 finishers in the world, Tim David, who plays for the Mumbai Indians in the IPL, helped Australia seal the game even when it looked difficult when they needed 28 runs in 8 balls. First, he evoked the memories of Virat Kohli’s two sixes in two balls to Haris Rauf at the MCG when the same equation was required for India two years ago as David walloped Adam Milne for two consecutive sixes.
In the last over, Tim Southee started off well and brought the requirement to 12 runs in 3 balls with Tim David on strike. Southee, however, then missed his mark and bowled a full toss which David dispatched for a six. 2 runs were scored on the penultimate delivery.
With four required off the last ball, Southee once again missed the yorker and David crashed a full ball on his leg into the leg side between long-on and deep mid-wicket where Glenn Phillips, the most athletic fielder in the New Zealand team, put in a dive but couldn’t stop the ball given the ferocity it was smacked with by the Australian finisher.
The Sky Stadium at Wellington produced a high-scoring game. Earlier, Finn Allen (32 off 17), Devon Conway (63 off 46), and Rachin Ravindra (68 off 35) helped New Zealand post a big total of 215.
Four out of the top five Australian players got starts, scoring between 20 and 35, but none of them could bat for long with captain Mitchell Marsh, who scored 72* off 44 balls and was at the non-striker’s end when Tim David clobbered 3 sixes and 2 fours in his brief yet match-winning innings of 31* runs in 10 balls.
Social media erupted hailing Tim David for his powerful MS Dhoni-like finish:
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