India vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Jaipur, 2010, post match review
India won the toss and considering the dew factor put New Zealand in. Vettori returned to captain his side at the expense of Grant Elliot and Tim Southee replaced Tuffey while India made no changes. Vettori knew he needed a big score to win and level the series as Indian batsmen were in form and dew could play a role here.
Guptill started confidently with two fours in Nehra’s first over but Jamie How still not knowing how to continue his domestic form in international cricket went early. After the bowling power-play Munaf Patel got Williamson clean bowled for a patient 29. Taylor joined Guptill who was going steadily at the other end. Dropped early Taylor could not capitalize on and left at the score of 96 in 25th over. Scott Styris came to bat and a solid partnership was needed now in order to get a good score. He used his experience and expertise of playing the spin well and got going smoothly. Meanwhile Martin Guptill who had brought up his thousand runs in ODIs was adjudged caught behind off Ashwin after a well made 70 off 102 balls. It was a close call but probably he had nicked the ball. Batting power-play was taken after 34 overs and it yielded just 33 runs. It was an important wicket for India as he was set and should have gone on to score a hundred. New Zealand was scoring at 4.3 an over and needed to up the tempo a bit. Captain Vettori coming at number six had to do this job for his team. Styris brought up his 26th fifty off just 49 balls. They were 219 for 4 after 45 overs and a last hurrah could have got them to 270 with both batsmen well set. But Sreesanth got two in two in the first two balls of 46th over to dent New Zealand’s hopes big time. They could muster just 258 for 8 in 50 overs and apparently India was the happier side of the two at the interval.
Amid the news that some parts of the roof of a stand at the Stadium collapsed during the break injuring a few spectators Indian openers Murali Vijay and Gautam Gambhir strode out to the middle. Vettori did a Martin Crow and started with spin. Both openers started well and at the end of 15 overs had collected 77 runs without much fuss. India lost their first wicket at 87 in the 18th over when sedate Vijay got bowled off Vettori while trying a vicious sweep. Century maker of the first match Virat Kohli joined Gambhir who was playing with authority and had hit 8 crispy boundaries in his fifty off just 44 balls. Both played the New Zealand bowlers with such ease that Vettori started looking worried and short of ideas. Gambhir had two close run-out scares but both times direct hit was needed to dismiss him. At the half way stage India just required 133 runs at 5.32 which was not a big ask with Yuvraj and Raina to follow. Gambhir was in full flow playing his cuts, pulls and drives through cover with aplomb. On the stroke of a fine 100 run partnership Kohli brought up his fluent fifty with a lovely pull off a lackluster Kyle Mills. Gambhir brought up his 8th ODI hundred with a fine shot on the leg side which was also celebrated by Kohli with two successive fours in the same McKay over. But McKay had his revenge the next delivery when Taylor held on to a superb catch at midwicket. Kohli was on his way to another ton but had to depart after making 64 off 73 balls leaving India in a winning position at 203 in 37 overs. Yuvraj came at the crease but it was Gambhir who continued to play with disdain at the other end. India raced to the target in 43.1 overs. Gambhir remained not out on a splendid 138 off just 116 balls with 18 hits to the boundary. Sreesanth had taken 4 for 47 but Gambhir was named player of the match and rightly so.
It was a thumping win for India which has left New Zealand bruised and demoralized. They have to improve their batting and bowling considerably if they are to stand any chance in the series. It was more them playing badly rather than India playing too good. If they do not improve they might be on their way to another white-wash on the sub-continent before the world cup. Not a good omen indeed.
Guptill started confidently with two fours in Nehra’s first over but Jamie How still not knowing how to continue his domestic form in international cricket went early. After the bowling power-play Munaf Patel got Williamson clean bowled for a patient 29. Taylor joined Guptill who was going steadily at the other end. Dropped early Taylor could not capitalize on and left at the score of 96 in 25th over. Scott Styris came to bat and a solid partnership was needed now in order to get a good score. He used his experience and expertise of playing the spin well and got going smoothly. Meanwhile Martin Guptill who had brought up his thousand runs in ODIs was adjudged caught behind off Ashwin after a well made 70 off 102 balls. It was a close call but probably he had nicked the ball. Batting power-play was taken after 34 overs and it yielded just 33 runs. It was an important wicket for India as he was set and should have gone on to score a hundred. New Zealand was scoring at 4.3 an over and needed to up the tempo a bit. Captain Vettori coming at number six had to do this job for his team. Styris brought up his 26th fifty off just 49 balls. They were 219 for 4 after 45 overs and a last hurrah could have got them to 270 with both batsmen well set. But Sreesanth got two in two in the first two balls of 46th over to dent New Zealand’s hopes big time. They could muster just 258 for 8 in 50 overs and apparently India was the happier side of the two at the interval.
Amid the news that some parts of the roof of a stand at the Stadium collapsed during the break injuring a few spectators Indian openers Murali Vijay and Gautam Gambhir strode out to the middle. Vettori did a Martin Crow and started with spin. Both openers started well and at the end of 15 overs had collected 77 runs without much fuss. India lost their first wicket at 87 in the 18th over when sedate Vijay got bowled off Vettori while trying a vicious sweep. Century maker of the first match Virat Kohli joined Gambhir who was playing with authority and had hit 8 crispy boundaries in his fifty off just 44 balls. Both played the New Zealand bowlers with such ease that Vettori started looking worried and short of ideas. Gambhir had two close run-out scares but both times direct hit was needed to dismiss him. At the half way stage India just required 133 runs at 5.32 which was not a big ask with Yuvraj and Raina to follow. Gambhir was in full flow playing his cuts, pulls and drives through cover with aplomb. On the stroke of a fine 100 run partnership Kohli brought up his fluent fifty with a lovely pull off a lackluster Kyle Mills. Gambhir brought up his 8th ODI hundred with a fine shot on the leg side which was also celebrated by Kohli with two successive fours in the same McKay over. But McKay had his revenge the next delivery when Taylor held on to a superb catch at midwicket. Kohli was on his way to another ton but had to depart after making 64 off 73 balls leaving India in a winning position at 203 in 37 overs. Yuvraj came at the crease but it was Gambhir who continued to play with disdain at the other end. India raced to the target in 43.1 overs. Gambhir remained not out on a splendid 138 off just 116 balls with 18 hits to the boundary. Sreesanth had taken 4 for 47 but Gambhir was named player of the match and rightly so.
It was a thumping win for India which has left New Zealand bruised and demoralized. They have to improve their batting and bowling considerably if they are to stand any chance in the series. It was more them playing badly rather than India playing too good. If they do not improve they might be on their way to another white-wash on the sub-continent before the world cup. Not a good omen indeed.
Published in Sportpulse.net
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