With India having won the series already it was a dead rubber for them and an opportunity for some experiments. They brought in Praveen Kumar and Saurabh Tiwary for Munaf Patel and Ravindra Jadeja respectively while Parthiv Patel got a game as Saha had already departed for South Africa with the advance party. For New Zealand the series was not over as they had to win to get their pride and confidence back. McCullum was fit enough to bat and keep so Tim Southee came in for Hopkins and Jamie How replaced Williamson.
India again put New Zealand in after winning the toss under somewhat overcast conditions. New Zealand changing their tactics and mindset went after the bowling from the word go. They collected three fours in the second over bowled by Kumar to set the tone. Guptill and Mccullum departed after scoring some quick runs. After the brisk start they needed some consolidation which was provided by Taylor and Styris with a 79 run partnership.
They took batting powerplay after 37 overs but the very next ball Taylor got out LBW to Ashwin. Vettori joined James Franklin who was playing frankly at that time. In the quest of quick runs Vettori and then Kyle Mills departed in rapid succession being clean bowled by Yusuf Pathan. Indian bowlers experienced mauling and controlled brutality which they least expected from New Zealand. Franklin went bananas in the last over bowled by Nehra and looted 22 valuable runs with two sixes and two fours. He was dropped off the penultimate ball which went for four. Franklin needed three runs off the last ball to get to a hurricane hundred but a yorker restricted him to just a single. He finished with 98 off 69 balls just short by two runs from what would have been the second fastest ODI hundred for New Zealand. Last five overs yielded 63 runs putting the Black Caps in perfect position to end their losing streak.
India started cautiously with openers Gambhir and Parthiv Patel taking time to get the measure of the wicket. They changed gears in the fifth over bowled by Mills when Patel cracked two fours. Patel was playing crispy shots on both side of the wicket with ease. Both had moments of luck when they got a four each through vacant first slip. But Andy McKay jolted India by taking two quick wickets of Gambhir and in form Kohli. At 68 for two in ten overs India slowed down a bit as Yuvraj was settling in. Just after passing hundred in the 18th over India lost Yuvraj and Patel through Nathan McCullum. In between these two dismissals Vettori had got Sharma caught behind but Amish Saheba missed a clear edge. To add to Vettori’s bewilderment he did not consider giving him LBW either when he was plumb in front. India was wobbling at 108 for 4 after 20 overs with asking rate touching seven.
Yusuf and Sharma decided to play their natural game and through lusty sixes and fours shared a stand of 80 runs in almost 14 overs. With rain around the corner Sharma holed out to Vettori at mid-off for 44 off Southee. Drizzle had started when Tiwary walked out to support Yusuf. They were behind on D/L and it was Yusuf who could reverse that equation for them. But play stopped after 36 overs as rain became heavier with India 15 runs behind on D/L at 203/5.
After a break of about an hour the play resumed and resumed with a bang. Yusuf smacked the first ball from Vettori for a massive six over long-on. He was playing without any fear as if playing in IPL. He hit Kyle Mills a humongous six which landed on the roof at deep mid-wicket. India needed 81 runs in the last ten overs as the drizzle started again. Next two overs yielded only nine runs but Yusuf punished Mills in the very next over with three fours and a six to collect 21 runs. Rain had stopped as Yusuf’s bat rained runs in that over. He brought up his maiden hundred with a huge six off McKay over long-on off just 79 balls. McCullum let go four byes as New Zealand withered under pressure. India needed only 27 runs in the last four overs. Yusuf hit a low full toss away for six in Southee’s next over which was followed by Tiwary’s two straight driven fours. Tiwary hit a straight six to seal an exceptional win for India in the penultimate over. They won by five wickets and the hero Yusuf remained not out on 123 off just 96 balls including seven fours and same number of sixes. They shared an unbroken 6th wicket stand off 123. Man of the match Yusuf got his best bowling stats of 3 for 49 runs and his highest score in this match.
New Zealand just could not match India in both form and belief. After India was 108 for 4 it was almost over for India but Yusuf played a gem and snatched victory from Vettori’s grasp. Can New Zealand lift themselves from this demoralizing loss to win the last match before leaving India empty handed? Only time will tell.
India again put New Zealand in after winning the toss under somewhat overcast conditions. New Zealand changing their tactics and mindset went after the bowling from the word go. They collected three fours in the second over bowled by Kumar to set the tone. Guptill and Mccullum departed after scoring some quick runs. After the brisk start they needed some consolidation which was provided by Taylor and Styris with a 79 run partnership.
They took batting powerplay after 37 overs but the very next ball Taylor got out LBW to Ashwin. Vettori joined James Franklin who was playing frankly at that time. In the quest of quick runs Vettori and then Kyle Mills departed in rapid succession being clean bowled by Yusuf Pathan. Indian bowlers experienced mauling and controlled brutality which they least expected from New Zealand. Franklin went bananas in the last over bowled by Nehra and looted 22 valuable runs with two sixes and two fours. He was dropped off the penultimate ball which went for four. Franklin needed three runs off the last ball to get to a hurricane hundred but a yorker restricted him to just a single. He finished with 98 off 69 balls just short by two runs from what would have been the second fastest ODI hundred for New Zealand. Last five overs yielded 63 runs putting the Black Caps in perfect position to end their losing streak.
India started cautiously with openers Gambhir and Parthiv Patel taking time to get the measure of the wicket. They changed gears in the fifth over bowled by Mills when Patel cracked two fours. Patel was playing crispy shots on both side of the wicket with ease. Both had moments of luck when they got a four each through vacant first slip. But Andy McKay jolted India by taking two quick wickets of Gambhir and in form Kohli. At 68 for two in ten overs India slowed down a bit as Yuvraj was settling in. Just after passing hundred in the 18th over India lost Yuvraj and Patel through Nathan McCullum. In between these two dismissals Vettori had got Sharma caught behind but Amish Saheba missed a clear edge. To add to Vettori’s bewilderment he did not consider giving him LBW either when he was plumb in front. India was wobbling at 108 for 4 after 20 overs with asking rate touching seven.
Yusuf and Sharma decided to play their natural game and through lusty sixes and fours shared a stand of 80 runs in almost 14 overs. With rain around the corner Sharma holed out to Vettori at mid-off for 44 off Southee. Drizzle had started when Tiwary walked out to support Yusuf. They were behind on D/L and it was Yusuf who could reverse that equation for them. But play stopped after 36 overs as rain became heavier with India 15 runs behind on D/L at 203/5.
After a break of about an hour the play resumed and resumed with a bang. Yusuf smacked the first ball from Vettori for a massive six over long-on. He was playing without any fear as if playing in IPL. He hit Kyle Mills a humongous six which landed on the roof at deep mid-wicket. India needed 81 runs in the last ten overs as the drizzle started again. Next two overs yielded only nine runs but Yusuf punished Mills in the very next over with three fours and a six to collect 21 runs. Rain had stopped as Yusuf’s bat rained runs in that over. He brought up his maiden hundred with a huge six off McKay over long-on off just 79 balls. McCullum let go four byes as New Zealand withered under pressure. India needed only 27 runs in the last four overs. Yusuf hit a low full toss away for six in Southee’s next over which was followed by Tiwary’s two straight driven fours. Tiwary hit a straight six to seal an exceptional win for India in the penultimate over. They won by five wickets and the hero Yusuf remained not out on 123 off just 96 balls including seven fours and same number of sixes. They shared an unbroken 6th wicket stand off 123. Man of the match Yusuf got his best bowling stats of 3 for 49 runs and his highest score in this match.
New Zealand just could not match India in both form and belief. After India was 108 for 4 it was almost over for India but Yusuf played a gem and snatched victory from Vettori’s grasp. Can New Zealand lift themselves from this demoralizing loss to win the last match before leaving India empty handed? Only time will tell.
Published in SportPulse
ReplyDelete- http://sportpulse.net/article/yusuf%E2%80%99s-brutality-sinks-new-zealand