Mount Maunganui: A formidable Indian team completely dominated an out of sorts New Zealand for a series-clinching seven-wicket win in the third ODI, continuing to send a resounding message of their near invincibility to every World Cup opposition.
With an unassailable lead in the five-match series, skipper Virat Kohli also signed off his tour Down Under on a high with a first ODI series win in New Zealand in 10 years. However, it is to be noted that prior to this, India played just one series here since the one in 2009.
It was a complete team effort after the bowlers shot New Zealand out for 243 in 49 overs with all-rounder Hardik Pandya (2/45) making his presence felt with the ball as well as on the field. Pandya was playing his first match after the suspension on him for sexist remarks on a TV show was lifted.
“Three clinical games for us. I couldn’t have asked for a better performance after the first two clinical games. The relentlessness of the side is something that really pleases me,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
The chase was a cakewalk with skipper Kohli (60, 74b, 6×4, 1×6) and his deputy Rohit Sharma (62, 77b, 3×4, 2×6) adding 113 runs for the second wicket to set up the victory in only 43 overs. This was after Shikhar Dhawan (28, 27b, 6×4) had given India a flying start.
“When a guy doesn’t get runs in a couple of games, he’s actually hungry to score runs and the opposition feels a bit nervous because he’s gonna fire at some stage. So, that’s the kind of confidence we carry in the team right now,” Kohli pointed out.
Once Dhawan was dismissed, caught in the slips off Trent Boult, Rohit, who till then went slow, finally opened up. He signaled his intentions with a straight six off Mitchell Santner.
Kohli, at the other end, punched Lockie Ferguson through the point and then hit Ish Sodhi for two boundaries. Rohit, who has treated Ferguson with a lot of disdain, then hit a front-foot pull off the bowler for his second six.
After their dismissals, Ambati Rayudu (40 n o, 42b, 5×4, 1×6) and Dinesh Karthik (38 n o, 38b, 5×4, 1×6), playing in place of the injured MS Dhoni, put on an unfinished stand of 77 runs for the fourth wicket to take India home.
Earlier, during New Zealand innings, Pandya seemed unfazed by the tribulations of the past few weeks and made a significant contribution to India’s impressive bowling effort.
Save the 119-run fourth wicket stand between Ross Taylor (93, 106b, 9×4) and Tom Latham (51, 64b, 1×4, 1×6), New Zealand couldn’t really accelerate against the Indian attack on a pitch that was a touch slower compared to the second ODI.
Mohammed Shami (3/41) who had all but sealed the third seamer’s spot for the World cup, once again provided the initial breakthrough as Colin Munro (seven) edged one to Rohit in the slip cordon.
Martin Guptill (13) then got a delivery from Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/46), which moved a shade after pitching. The resultant nick was taken by Karthik behind the stumps.
Kane Williamson’s (28) bane in the series has been not capitalising on good starts and it was no different in this game either with Pandya coming into the focus with an impressive catch at the mid-wicket off Yuzvendra Chahal (2/51).
Taylor and Latham then resurrected the innings with their stand, but after their departure, the rest fell in a heap.
Scoreboard
New Zealand: Martin Guptill c Karthik b Bhuvneshwar 13, Colin Munro c Rohit b Shami 7, Kane Williamson c Pandya b Chahal 28, Ross Taylor c Karthik b Shami 93, Tom Latham c Rayudu b Chahal 51, Henry Nicholls c Karthik b Pandya 6, Mitchell Santner c Karthik b Pandya 3, Doug Bracewell r o 15, Ish Sodhi c Kohli b Shami 12, Trent Boult c Shami b Bhuvneshwar 2, Lockie Ferguson n o 2, Extras (lb-4, w-7) 11, Total (all out in 49 Overs) 243.
Fall: 1-10, 2-26, 3-59, 4-178, 5-191, 6-198, 7-222, 8-239, 9-239, 10-243.
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 10-1-46-2, Mohammed Shami 9-0-41-3, Yuzvendra Chahal 9-0-51-2, Hardik Pandya 10-0-45-2, Kuldeep Yadav 8-0-39-0, Kedar Jadhav 3-0-17-0.
India: Rohit Sharma st Latham b Santner 62, Shikhar Dhawan c Taylor b Boult 28, Virat Kohli c Nicholls b Boult 60, Ambati Rayudu n o 40, Dinesh Karthik n o 38, Extras (b-1, w-16) 17, Total (for 3 wkts in 43 Overs) 245.
Fall: 1-39, 2-152, 3-168.
Bowling: Trent Boult 10-1-40-2, Doug Bracewell 6-0-49-0, Lockie Ferguson 10-1-57-0, Mitchell Santner 10-0-45-1, Ish Sodhi 7-0-53-0.
PTI
