New Zealand made good of their promise to fight back in the ODI series as they clinched a six-run win over India in what turned out to be a nail-biter in New Delhi. The match see-sawed until the visitors emerged victorious.
Kane Williamson will be glad because of his personal form with the bat as well as the fight that his boys showed in levelling the series.
Here are five things we learnt from the fascinating contest.
NEW ZEALAND BOWLERS COME OUT ON TOP
The Kiwis lost the plot in the last ten overs while they were batting, losing five quick wickets. They could thus manage to reach only 242 when they looked good for more at one stage.
India looked all set to chase down the total but made things difficult for themselves by losing wickets in clusters. When they lost MS Dhoni, Axar Patel and Amit Mishra, it looked all but over for them until Hardik Pandya and Umesh Yadav stitched together a crucial partnership that brought them close.
Pandya’s dismissal in the 49th over swung the match decisively in the favour of the Kiwis. The New Zealand bowlers were on top for the most part despite the little slip up towards the end.
They did not give enough width for the likes of Dhoni and Pandya. Tim Southee and Trent Boult also mixed up their slower deliveries and bouncers really well.
WILLIAMSON DELIVERS
Although there was a lot of comparison between Kane Williamson and Virat Kohli leading up to New Zealand’s tour of India, the Blackcaps skipper largely disappointed in the tour until the New Delhi ODI. Even though he looked to be in decent form, he was not able to kick on when it was most required.
A Williamson century was in the reckoning for some time now and he delivered at last in what turned out to be a match-winning knock. His 118 off 128 balls was largely a sedate knock, but it proved to be the backbone of the New Zealand innings.
The Kiwis did make things difficult for themselves in the end by losing wickets in a rush, but Williamson’s knock stood out in a match where no other batsman could even manage a half-century.
PANDYA FALLS AT THE FINAL HURDLE
Hardik Pandya has got off to a dream start in his first ODI series. In the first match, his three wickets with the ball won him the Man of the Match award. Had Pandya been able to pull off a win in the second ODI with the bat, he would’ve been a hero for some time to come.
He did bat out of his skin and received considerable support from Umesh Yadav; the duo took up a lost cause when India had been reduced to 183 for 8.
Supported by his partner, Pandya ran well between the wickets and hit some crucial boundaries to take India within range of a famous win. The rash shot he played to get out was unnecessary at the time and he knew that straightaway as he held his head in his hands.
India were within touching distance and an adventurous shot of a Boult bouncer was unnecessary. Maturity will come with experience, but for now, Pandya has shown enough promise as the possible pace-bowling all-rounder that India have long been searching for.
India might not win this. But until that last shot Pandya's calm gave hope. Dhoni should teach him to take it to the last over. #IndvNZ
— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) October 20, 2016
THIRD UMPIRE AND SOFT SIGNALS
One of the worst things about cricket is that, although it gladly welcomes new changes, it remains rigid about some otherwise inexplicable rules. One of these is the convention followed by the third umpire to rely on the soft signal by the on-field umpire while making decisions.
Ajinkya Rahane looked well set when he hooked a short delivery to deep fine-leg. As Corey Anderson completed the catch, he put his hand up straight away to indicate that he was not sure. The decision was referred to the third umpire with the soft signal from the on-field umpire being out.
Even as replays indicated that the ball had bounced off the turf before being caught by Anderson, the third umpire decided to go with the umpire’s call and rule Rahane out.
Commentators Simon Doull and Ravi Shastri had already pointed out on air that the ball had bounced before hitting Anderson’s fingers. But according to the convention, the third umpire should go with the on-field umpire’s soft signal unless there is overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
This has also been the problem with DRS in the past as well. If a decision is referred to the third umpire, he should really be given full freedom to choose as he pleases and not rely on the soft signal.
Rahane’s dismissal proved to be crucial in turning the tide in the favour of the Kiwis in the middle overs.
TAYLOR AND DHONI – TWO CONFUSED SOULS?
Ross Taylor and MS Dhoni are two distinctly different players with contrasting styles. Yet, there is one point of overwhelming similarity between them – both of them are struggling at this moment.
Taylor never got going and put undue pressure on Williamson because of his inability to rotate the strike. As he tried to hit out of trouble, his over-reliance on the slog sweep let him down. The fact that it was the only shot he tried to manufacture from every ball made him very predictable.
Taylor is a fine player, but in his sluggish knock, he looked clueless and then fell into the trap set by India as he hit straight down the throat of the fielder positioned at deep square-leg.
Dhoni’s situation looks painfully similar albeit slightly more bizarre. He grafted and built, but the onslaught at the end never came. He kept eating up too many deliveries, leading to an increase in the asking rate.
Even when the time to accelerate came, there were some ill-timed slogs and misses after which Dhoni went back into a shell. He was reluctant to go after the bowling because he was clearly unsure of himself and tried preserving his wicket, hoping that the others around him would do the job.
The clock is ticking for India’s ODI skipper.
Dhoni at the press conference: Just like my biopic, things went awry after the interval. #IndvNZ
— cricBC (@cricBC) October 20, 2016
