Shreyas Iyer’s India find their feet after turbulent T20I run, but Wellington brings a new test

The celebrations after India won the second T20I against New Zealand in Christchurch showed just how much the Men in Blue needed that result. Since winning the T20 World Cup, it has been a roller-coaster ride for the T20I team under new captain Shreyas Iyer, with India struggling to close out matches. It started on the Ireland tour, where India lost both matches while chasing, first by 34 runs and then by just one run.The poor form continued in the England series, where the hosts humbled India 4-0. This time, the team failed in both departments when it mattered.Ravi Bishnoi conceded 29 runs in the 17th over of the second match as the Three Lions cruised to victory with an over to spare.Then came a 76-run collapse as India slumped to their second-lowest T20I total in a 125-run defeat, their heaviest loss in the format. The struggles continued in the home series against the West Indies earlier this month, with the visitors eking out a 2-2 draw.The UK tour was an eye-opener, and Sanju Samson said after the first game against New Zealand that, with India playing non-stop cricket, the players had been “instructed” to keep their fitness levels high.The opener, who scored a 33-ball 67 in the opening game, said the team’s motto was to play an “aggressive” brand of cricket and that the mandate for the openers was to “kill the game in the Powerplay”.“Sometimes it comes off, sometimes it doesn’t, but we have to keep believing,” Samson said.Bowling coach Morne Morkel reiterated Samson’s message on the eve of the third T20I in Wellington, saying there was no option to slack off.“For us, it’s about playing a brand of cricket that is entertaining. We’re not always going to get it right. But it is about putting that aggressive foot forward. We had our challenges in England and Ireland, where we weren’t consistent. So, there’s a big focus on this tour, especially in white-ball cricket, to raise our standards and play a good brand of cricket,” Morkel said.India have been able to execute that aggressive approach in the first two games. They comfortably chased down 225 in the opener and then wriggled out of tight situations in the second match on their way to victory.First, the bowlers did well to restrict the Black Caps to 180. Then, after India were reduced to 70/5, Naman Dhir, Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy kept their composure and used their cricketing smarts to guide the team to a four-wicket win.In Wellington, India will face an external challenge as they look to seal the series in windy conditions. On Monday, a wind warning was issued in the city, with the waterfront closed after several cyclists were knocked off their bicycles. Conditions are expected to improve by match time on Tuesday, but it will be chilly, and Morkel said the players must adjust.“This is a different beast, this wind. I was in the hotel this morning and the whole building was sort of shaking. It’s going to be a new thing that we add to our books for the guys to get used to and become accustomed to. But it’s about looking forward to that challenge and taking it head-on, and not making excuses,” he said.Meanwhile, teen opener Vaibhav Sooryavanshi will get another chance, with the injured Ishan Kishan ruled out of the third game as well.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.