Before the buccaneering blitz, it was Bumrah and Bishnoi

Towards the end of the PowerPlay, Abhishek Sharma’s control percentage was an immaculate 100 having faced a dozen balls. Jacob Duffy was not at all interested in sullying his perfection as he offered a waist-high full toss outside the off-stump. The next ball also met the middle of the bat and up came the second-fastest individual fifty ever for India. Four overs later, Duffy was checking Abhishek’s bat and shaking his head in amazement before the players lined up for the handshake ritual. India had gunned down 154 at warp speed in Guwahati, the first home venue to witness four consecutive totals of 200 or more in T20Is, yet on such a featherbed Jasprit Bumrah and Ravi Bishnoi combined for 5/35.

The leg-spinner last played an international in February 2025. Varun Chakravarthy was the man of that series against England with 14 wickets, pretty much explaining why Bishnoi was relegated to the sidelines despite leapfrogging Rashid Khan to become the world’s best bowler in late 2023. His zipping googlies couldn’t make a splash in IPL 2025 and the dip in form led to exclusion from the Asia Cup squad, with all-rounder Axar Patel flying to Dubai after hitting 15 sixes for Delhi Daredevils.

Kuldeep Yadav got miles under his legs in the Duleep Trophy and went on to spin a web in the UAE, setting a record for the most wickets in a single edition with 17 wickets across 7 matches at an incredible average of 9.29. Bishnoi was dipping out of the national frame but an impressive show in the domestic white-ball season as well as an injury to Washington Sundar opened the door. 11 dot balls in his quota and the wickets of New Zealand’s top run-scorers suggest he is adamant not to let it close.

He dovetailed with Bumrah to give away just three runs in the last two overs of the PowerPlay even as Glenn Phillips seemed to be in a hurry hitherto, much like the devotees en route to Kamakhya Temple ahead of sunrise. Both Harshit Rana and Hardik Pandya had been treated to an authoritative cover drive, with the latter overpitching despite long-on and deep square leg. India were barely conceding an inch thanks to Bishnoi’s hard lengths but Kuldeep’s long hop changed the complexion of the game. Chapman may not bench press as heavy as Phillips but he was strong enough to deposit the ball into the stands. The quietude that crept in post Bumrah’s away-seaming thunderbolt to Tim Seifert was now broken, and Phillips spared no mercy when Kuldeep overcooked on the fuller side. At the halfway mark New Zealand were 75/3, with Shivam Dubey’s trundlers helping them compensate for an average PowerPlay.

The fifty partnership between the left-right combo off 38 balls presented ominous signs for India, although by controlling the middle overs through spin India have won many a game in coloured clothing. Bishnoi kept the ball away from the swinging arc while dishing it out at 104kmph; the velocity forcing Chapman into playing from the crease as the feather of an edge brought India back into the contest. Bishnoi’s flat trajectory makes getting underneath the ball to achieve the desired elevation a tough ask, and a miscue from Phillips on 48 bore testimony. He finished with an economy of four and a half, whereas counterpart Ish Sodhi leaked 28 runs in his two overs.

‘’Maintaining that in-between length is very crucial for me because my pace is high. If I err, the batter can easily dispatch me. So the focus is on being able to nail that sweet spot time and again,’’ Bishnoi explained. ‘’My control had wavered of late so I’ve tried to home on to that 5-6m mark and attack the stumps. I was nervous and excited simultaneously because I was getting a chance after a while but happy to have contributed to the team’s success.’’

Bumrah produced another pole-shattering spectacle in cleaning up Jamieson at the death and also nabbed Mitchell Santner, who scored 47 in Raipur, to minimize the damage in the final stretch. Not that a few extra runs would have mattered a great deal, for the triumvirate of Abhishek, Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav engaged their respective beast modes. Despite Sanju Samson’s departure on the very first ball, a streak of chutzpah that has come to define the new-age Indian team was on glorious display as the southpaws peppered the mid-wicket boundary.

Returning to form via an unbeaten 80 in the previous fixture, Suryakumar unfurled a bouquet of wristy signature shots – lap, cut, sweep. Talking about range, Abhishek backed away and managed to dunk a slower ball over cover after Duffy followed him to deny any room whatsoever. From the same position, he’d slogged a six to match Ishan shot for shot in an early onslaught that rivalled The Gorkha regiment for its ruthlessness.

‘’I think we’ve spoken about this within the group. This is the brand of cricket which we want to play, irrespective of whether we are batting first or chasing. Of course, for example, if we are 20/3 or 40/4 tomorrow, we know how to bat. This is the best way going forward. And what do I say about the top order? They make my job very easy,’’ Suryakumar said. On comeback trail, Bishnoi too allayed his containment concerns on the field.

‘’I think his plans are pretty clear. He knows his strong points, he knows his bowling really well. Whenever chips are down, whenever the team is under pressure, he has always delivered. So very good to have him in the side. And a good rest also for Varun.’’

An area where Bishnoi trumps Varun clearly is groundwork, as exemplified by the sliding catch when Rachin Ravindra fancied the aerial pull. In the process of facilitating India’s tenth consecutive series win in their own backyard, a purple patch ranging from 2022 to 2026, the exuberant leggie has made a case for sustenance following a year in the wilderness.