Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips showed their masterclass against India in Indore as they both scored tons to put India firmly on the back foot. Daryl Mitchell loves India and scored yet another ton while Glenn Phillips showed his class as the duo put on 200+ for the 4th wicket to take the game away from India after the Kiwis lost early wickets but these two made sure New Zealand had the platform to reach 330+.
It was a mixed day for the Indian bowlers. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana picked up 3 wickets each but went for runs as well especially Rana while Mohammed Siraj bowled well without much luck as he picked up one wicket but kept things under check while Kuldeep Yadav picked up a wicket. Ravindra Jadeja stayed wicketless yet again as New Zealand have one hand on the trophy by scoring such a big score as it would require a miracle for India to win this one.
India strike twice to remove both New Zealand openers cheaply inside the powerplay.Â
Put into bat first, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls came out to open for New Zealand while Arshdeep Singh had ball in hand for the Indian team. Conway got off the mark with a boundary through backward point region. Conway was then given a life as Ravindra Jadeja dropped him at backward point. But the left-armer made an immediate impact as he removed Henry Nicholls for a golden duck by cleaning him up. Will Young came out to bat next.
Harshit Rana came into the attack from the other end and he removed Conway for 5 off 4 balls with a boundary to his name as the edge was found and carried to Rohit Sharma at first slip. Mr. Dependable Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next. Young hit Rana for a boundary between cover and point region. Arshdeep continued and bowled a maiden over. Rana continued as Young punched the ball between point and backward point for a boundary. Arshdeep continued as Mitchell hit him for a boundary past mid-off by punching it there.
Rana continued as Young upper cut him over deep backward point for the maximum. Arshdeep continued as Mitchell flicked it between midwicket and mid-on for a boundary. Mohammed Siraj came into the attack for the first time this innings. Siraj bowled a tight first over. Arshdeep continued as Young punched the ball through backward point for a boundary. Young again hit the left-armer for a boundary through deep fine leg region.
Siraj bowled the last over of first powerplay as Mitchell rocked back and cut it past backward point for a boundary. At the end of the first 10 overs of powerplay, New Zealand were 47/2 with Young on 24* off 32 balls and Mitchell on 17* off 23 balls.
Will Young falls but Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips keeps New Zealand ahead in the game.Â
Harshit Rana came back into the attack as Mitchell welcomed him back with a boundary through extra cover. Siraj continued as Young hit him straight down the ground as an arrow for a boundary. The 50-run stand came up between the two players. Rana then gave India another breakthrough as he removed Young for 30 off 41 balls with 5 fours and one six to his name as Jadeja pulled off a stunner at backward point. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next and got off the mark as well.
Siraj continued and kept things tight. Rana continued as Mitchell pulled him away through deep square leg for a boundary. New Zealand were 71/3 in 15 overs when we paused for the first Drinks Break of the day. Nitish Kumar Reddy came into the attack after the break. He bowled a decent first over. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack soon. Mitchell welcomed him with a maximum down the ground over the bowler’s head. Reddy bowled another decent over. Kuldeep bowled a better over.
Reddy too kept things tight as New Zealand were 95/3 in 20 overs. Kuldeep continued as Mitchell flicked it away for a boundary through short fine leg as the 50 came up for Mitchell in 56 balls and the 100 up for New Zealand in 21 overs. This was his 13th ODI fifty. Reddy continued and bowled a decent over. Siraj came back into the attack and bowled a tight over. Reddy continued as Mitchell pulled him in front of square for the maximum. Rana put down Phillips in the deep a tough chance went down.
Siraj bowled another quiet over as New Zealand were 119/3 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the game with Mitchell on 63* off 71 balls and Phillips on 20* off 33 balls.
Daryl Mitchell and Will Young drove home the advantage to push India further on the back foot.Â
Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack as Mitchell flicked it away through deep midwicket region for a boundary. Siraj continued as Phillips showed his aggression by clubbing a pull over Rohit at midwicket for a boundary. Arshdeep continued as Phillips went big down the ground over the bowler’s head for the maximum. Reddy came back for another spell as Phillips drove on the front foot past wide long-on for a boundary. Phillips again hit a boundary past short fine leg for a boundary. Drinks was taken with the score at 152/3 in 29 overs.
Ravindra Jadeja finally came into the attack as Mitchell swept him past midwicket region for a boundary. The partnership went to 100 runs as well between the duo. New Zealand were 159/3 in 30 overs. Reddy continued as Mitchell picked the length early and pulled it to deep square leg for a boundary. Jadeja continued as Mitchell slapped it to deep cover point for a boundary off a free hit. Reddy continued as Phillips reached his 6th ODI fifty in 53 balls.
Jadeja continued and bowled a better over. Rana returned to the bowling crease as Phillips drilled it down the ground for a boundary. Phillips hit another boundary through deep point for a boundary. Jadeja continued as Mitchell reached his 9th ODI ton and 3rd in 4th innings in 106 balls. Rana continued as Mitchell pulled him away to short midwicket region for a boundary. Phillips flicked the low full toss to deep fine leg for a boundary. Mitchell hit another boundary over backward point for a boundary.
Jadeja continued and bowled a better over. Kuldeep continued and bowled a better over. Jadeja continued as Phillips smoked him over long-on down the ground for the maximum. Mitchell again hammered him down the ground hard for a boundary. New Zealand reached 238/3 in 40 overs with Phillips on 82* off 76 balls while Mitchell was on 119 off 119 balls.
India get wickets in clusters, but late flourish takes New Zealand to 337/8.Â
Kuldeep Yadav continued as Mitchell went big down the ground for the maximum. Kuldeep overstepped and then the free hit was walloped through midwicket by Phillips for a boundary. The 250 came up for New Zealand as well. Glenn Phillips took Kuldeep on and went straight down the ground for the maximum. Arshdeep returned as the 200-run stand came up between the two players. Phillips slapped it away through covers for a boundary.
Phillips reached his 2nd ODI hundred off just 83 balls. Siraj came back into the attack as Phillips survived a caught behind appeal thanks to good usage of DRS. Phillips then stood and delivered for a boundary to deep point and deep third man. Mitchell then slapped him over extra cover for another boundary.
Arshdeep finally provided a breakthrough for India as he removed Phillips for 106 off 88 balls with 9 fours and 3 sixes to his name as the edge went through to the keeper KL Rahul. Captain Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. Mitchell hit a boundary to the long leg region. Siraj then got the big fish as he removed Mitchell for 137 off 131 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Kuldeep took the pressure catch.
Keeper batter Mitchell Hay came out to bat next. He got off the mark with a brace as New Zealand were now 285/5 in 45 overs. Kuldeep returned and got rid of Hay for 2 off 6 balls as the batter was caught plumb in front and wasted the review as well. Zakary Foulkes came out to bat next and got off the mark with a boundary over the keeper’s head. Rana continued as Bracewell hit him over backward square leg for the maximum as the 300 came up for New Zealand in 47 overs.
Arshdeep then removed Foulkes for 10 off 8 balls with one boundary to his name as Kuldeep took the catch at short third man. Kristian Clarke came out to bat next. Bracewell hit the bowler for the maximum over midwicket region. Rana continued as Bracewell went over covers for a boundary. Clarke smashed him down the ground over the bowler for a boundary. Clarke then deposited Rana over deep midwicket for the maximum. Rana eventually had the last laugh as he dismissed Clarke for 11 off 5 balls with 1 four and one six to his name as the stumps were rattled. Kyle Jamieson came out to bat next.
Siraj came to bowl the last over of the innings as Bracewell smashed him over square leg for the maximum and the we had four byes to end the innings. New Zealand finished with 337/8 in 50 overs with Bracewell unbeaten on 28 off 18 balls with one four and three sixes to his name while Jamieson was unbeaten on 0 off 0 balls. 8 extras given by the Indian team.
It was a hard day for the Indian bowlers. Arshdeep Singh finished with 3/63 in 10 overs. Harshit Rana was expensive but finished with 3/84 in 10 overs. Mohammed Siraj bowled well for his 1/43 in 10 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 1/48 in 6 overs. Nitish Kumar Reddy finished with 0/53 in 8 overs while Ravindra Jadeja finished with 0/41 in 6 overs. That means that India needed 338 to win the match off 50 overs to win the series 2-1.
Who’s Winning, India or New Zealand.Â
New Zealand have got a massive score on the board. It will take a miracle for India to win this game. Yes, the pitch is flat and short boundaries but chasing close to 340 is no joke. India has to start well and have a perfect chase. For now, it is advantage New Zealand in the interval. They will be the happier side at the moment.
Also Read:Â IND vs NZ: India & New Zealand Set To Clash In High Octane Decider