Daryl Mitchell stole the show yet again as Mr. Dependable stood up in the middle phase and took New Zealand to a massive 300/8 in 50 overs on a two-paced track in Vadodara. Daryl Mitchell meant business after the openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls laid the foundation for New Zealand at the top. India fought back in the middle phase but Mitchell’s finishing act meant the Kiwis finished with exactly 300/8.
It was a mixed bag bowling display by India with Harshit Rana finishing with 2/65 in 10 overs. Mohammed Siraj finished with 2/40 in 8 overs. Prasidh Krishna finished with 2/60 in 9 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 1/52 in 9 overs. Washington Sundar finished with 0/27 in 5 overs and went off the field with side strain while Ravindra Jadeja finished with 0/56 in 9 overs. India’s fielding was sloppy and there was a dropped catch or two which cost India a lot.
New Zealand get off to a steady start in first powerplay
Put into bat first, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls came out to bat for New Zealand while Mohammed Siraj had the new ball in hand for India. Siraj bowled a quiet first over. Harshit Rana operated from the other end and bowled another tight over. Siraj continued as Nicholls broke the shackles by tucking it away to the deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Rana continued as Conway showed his class by punching the ball down the ground for a boundary. Siraj continued as Conway crunched him away through covers and point for a boundary.
Then a big moment came in the 6th over. Nicholls was batting on 4 when he threw his hands at the ball and got the outside edge to deep third man where Kuldeep Yadav put down a sitter as the southpaw got a reprieve with Rana being the unlucky bowler. Conway then hit the ball on the pads to the deep fine leg region for another boundary. Conway then hit Siraj through extra cover and mid-off for a boundary.
Rana continued as Nicholls pulled the ball to deep square leg for a boundary. Washington Sundar came into the attack next. He bowled a decent first over. Prasidh Krishna came to bowl the final over of powerplay. Nicholls shuffled across and ramped the ball to deep fine leg fence for a boundary. Conway also joined in the fun as he tucked the ball through fine leg region for another boundary. New Zealand were 49/0 in 10 overs at the end of the first powerplay with Conway on 26* off 31 balls and Nicholls on 21* off 29 balls and off to a steady start.
Harshit Rana’s double strike lifts India after a century opening stand
Washington Sundar continued as the 50-run stand came up and for the team as well in 10.1 overs. Krishna continued and bowled a better over. Sundar continued as Nicholls got down on one knee and swept it to the right of short fine leg for a boundary. Krishna continued as Nicholls pulled the short ball to the deep backward square leg region to beat Siraj to the fence. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next. Nicholls played the reverse sweep to deep backward point for a boundary. Krishna continued and bowled a decent over as New Zealand reached 79/0 in 16 overs as we paused for the Drinks Break, the first of the day.
Kuldeep continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Washington Sundar returned and dropped a catch of his own bowling as Nicholls got another life. Conway then broke the shackles by hitting Kuldeep over deep backward square leg as Sundar came in and misjudged the ball as the ball went over him for a flat maximum as India shelved another chance. Sundar continued as Nicholls reached his fifty in 60 balls his 16th ODI fifty while the 100 came up for New Zealand as well in 19.5 overs. Conway reached his boundary with a lofted inside out drive over extra cover as he reached his 6th ODI fifty in 60 balls. New Zealand were 104/0 in 20 overs.
Kuldeep continued and bowled another decent over. Harshit Rana came back into the attack next as Nicholls hit him for back-to-back boundaries first through short midwicket and then through midwicket as well. Rana bounced back immediately as he broke the opening stand and dismissed Nicholls for 62 off 69 balls with 8 fours to his name as the outside edge was caught by the keeper KL Rahul. Will Young came out to the middle next.
Ravindra Jadeja came into the attack next and bowled a decent first over. Rana continued and removed the other opener as Conway chopped it on to the ball coming back in as the southpaw was dismissed for 56 off 67 balls with 6 fours and one six to his name. Mr. Dependable Daryl Mitchell walked out to bat next. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. New Zealand were 133/2 in 25 overs with Mitchell on 4* off 3 balls and Young on 8* off 11 balls.
India chip away at the wickets to peg New Zealand back a little bit
Mohammed Siraj returned to the bowling crease. Mitchell broke the shackles by lofting an off-drive over mid-off for a boundary. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over. Siraj continued and removed Young for 12 off 16 balls as the slower ball deceived him and the edge was found to the keeper Rahul yet again. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next. Jadeja continued and bowled a decent over as the 150 came up for New Zealand in 29 overs. Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack and bowled a decent over as New Zealand were 153/3 in 30 overs.
Jadeja continued as Phillips punched the ball to deep cover point for a boundary. Mitchell got into the act by going down on one knee and swept it to deep midwicket fence for a boundary. Kuldeep continued and bowled a decent over with New Zealand at 166/3 in 32 overs at the Drinks Break, the second of the innings. Jadeja continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Kuldeep then got the breakthrough for India as he dismissed Phillips for 12 off 19 balls with one four to his name as he hit the ball straight to Shreyas Iyer at backward point. Mitchell Hay on debut came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Jadeja bowled another decent over.
Kuldeep continued as Hay got a triple to deep fine leg region. Jadeja continued as Hay showed deft touch as he opened the bat face and got the outside edge to the deep third man fence. Hay once again rocked back on the back foot and pulled it away to wide long-on for a boundary. Prasidh Krishna came back into the attack and he removed Hay for 18 off 13 balls with 2 fours to his name as the bowler knocked him over with a peach of a ball. Captain Michael Bracewell came out to bat next and got off the mark as well. The 200 came up for New Zealand in 38 overs.
Mitchell then hit Jadeja by stepping down the track and whacked it over midwicket for a boundary. Krishna continued and bowled a decent 40th over as New Zealand reached 212/5 in 40 overs with Mitchell on 41* off 47 balls and Bracewell on 6* off 9 balls.
Daryl Mitchell provides the late flourish as New Zealand reaches 300 in 50 overs
Kuldeep Yadav came back into the attack as Mitchell cleared his front leg and lofted it over cow corner for the maximum. Mitchell soon reached his fifty in 51 balls his 12th ODI fifty and 2nd against India. Krishna continued as Mitchell completed 1000 runs against India in all formats. Rana returned to the attack as Bracewell slapped him away by flat batting it over the umpire’s head for a boundary. Then against the run of play while taking the second run, Bracewell was run out for 16 off 18 balls with one four to his name by Shreyas Iyer. Zak Foulkes came out to bat next.
Siraj continued as he knocked Foulkes over for 1 off 2 balls. Debutant Kristian Clarke came out to bat next and got off the mark straightaway. Rana continued as Clarke got forward to the pitch of the ball and beat mid-off for a boundary. The 250 came up for New Zealand in 45 overs. Siraj continued as Mitchell launched him by clearing his front leg and cleared midwicket for the maximum. Rana continued as Clarke opened the bat face and guided the ball to short third man and deep backward point region for a boundary.
Krishna continued as Mitchell got into the act and scooped it over short fine leg for a boundary and followed that up with a maximum over midwicket. Mitchell again hit a boundary this time through a top edge over fine leg region. Krishna bounced back as he got rid of Mitchell for 84 off 71 balls with 5 fours and 3 sixes to his name as he was trapped in front and the batter reviewed in hope and saw three reds on ball tracking. Kyle Jamieson came out to bat next.
Rana continued and delivered a decent second last over. Krishna bowled the final over of the innings as Clarke got an edge that ran away to the third man fence for a boundary. Clarke got a triple to extra cover region before Jamieson got a boundary away whacking it past mid-on for a boundary. New Zealand with a brace off the final ball of the innings finished with 300/8 in 50 overs. Clarke was unbeaten on 24 off 17 balls with 3 fours to his name while Jamieson was unbeaten on 8 off 8 balls with one four to his name.
A mixed day for the Indian bowlers with Siraj, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna picking up 2 wickets apiece while Kuldeep Yadav got a wicket as well. Ravindra Jadeja was wicketless and expensive while Washington Sundar left the field after bowling 5 overs due to some back issues.
Who’s Winning, India or New Zealand?Â
This match is nicely set up. It is not a total batting paradise and the pitch is a little two-paced. India have to bat well to get these runs because New Zealand have runs on the board. This match can go either ways. Dew could be a big factor as well. We are in for a fascinating battle one feels and the start for India will be important going forward.
Let’s see how the chase pans out.
Also Read:Â IND vs NZ: India Aims To Continue Their Good Form Against Inexperienced New Zealand