India, March 9 -- The last time India and New Zealand had met before Sunday's final, Finn Allen and Daryll Mitchell had gone after Jasprit Bumrah to hand the ace pacer his most expensive figures of 0/58 in T20Is. Played at Thiruvananthapuram on January 31, it was the fifth T20I game of the preparatory series for the T20 World Cup. The pitch was a belter where India amassed 271 and New Zealand replied with 225. Even though New Zealand lost, it was a big boost for the Kiwis to successfully target Bumrah, who ended up being the most expensive Indian bowler conceding runs at 14.50.

In Sunday's final, played at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Motera, the pitch was again a belter and India posted a mammoth 255/5. It was a massive chase but the Kiwi...