ICC World T20: The next Vettori' shines as Kiwi spin trio humiliate Team India
Nagpur: Chasing 127, in a dramatic turn of events, MS Dhoni and his troops were humiliated and bowled out for 79 in 18.1 overs, courtesy top class spin bowling by New Zealand, to lose the opening ICC World T20 Super 10 encounter by 47 runs here at the sold out Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium at Jamtha on Tuesday.
Kane Williamson’s gamble to include spinners Nathan McCullum, Mitchell Santner and Ish Sodhi paid off as the spin trio ran through the Indian batting order to pick nine wickets between them. With this win, India remain winless against Kiwis in T20Is having lost five in five.
Team India’s batting almost followed the same script like the opposition, only much severe. Southpaw Shikhar Dhawan was the first to depart after he was trapped by McCullum plumb in front of the wicket. Dhawan departed for just one run.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli too failed to deliver. Rohit (5), who tried to go after Santner was stumped by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi in the third over while Kohli, who looked good striking two boundaries, only scored 23 runs after Sodhi’s leg spin was just too good on the day.
What followed was top class spin bowling by Kiwis - Santner standing out with 4-11, while McCullum and Sodhi registered figures of 2-15 and 3-18 respectively.
Skipper MS Dhoni top scored for India with a run-a-ball 30 runs. Ravindra Jadeja didn’t trouble the scorers at all while Raina added just one run. Earlier, a disciplined Indian bowling attack dominated proceedings to restrict Kane Williamson and his side to 126-7.
Electing to bat, the Kiwi think tank made a bold move exclude pace duo of Tim Southee and Trent Boult and went ahead with all three spinners. India remained unchanged.
The Kiwis set out with right intentions when opener Martin Guptill struck the first ball for a six off R Ashwin’s delivery. The ball went straight down the bowler’s head and over the sight screen. However, Ashwin however brought the 44,900 partisan Indian fans at the Jamtha to their feet the very next ball when he trapped the in-form Guptill lbw. Guptill was out for 6 runs.
Colin Munro, who looked lethal in the warm up game against Sri Lanka had to settle for a paltry 7 runs as veteran Ashish Nehra spoiled the party for him in the next over. Munro was caught at mid-off by Hardik Pandya.
The Kiwis were stunned after two quick wickets and went into a defensive mode scoring 33 runs in the first powerplay.
Skipper Williamson too failed to lead from the front as he stumped by Dhoni in the seventh over off Suresh Raina’s delivery. Williamson added just 8 runs to Kiwi target.
Indian were spot on with their bowling giving just 55 runs in the initial 10 overs. Raina was in action again and this time was instrumental in a brilliant piece of work to send dangerous Ross Taylor packing for just the 10 runs. The Gujarat Lions skipper while bowling, dived and back handled white cherry to the stumps leaving Taylor short of his crease. Tension gripped fans when skipper MS Dhoni was hurt after the ball hit his thumb in the 13th over.
Corey Anderson, who top scored with 33 runs, was the only one who offered some sort of resistance to Indian bowling. But after sensing urgency in scoring, Anderson, who tried to go for the reverse sweep, exposed his stumps that only saw Jasprit Bumrah crash the woodwork. Anderson’s 42-ball knock was laced with three boundaries.
New Zealand brought up 100 runs in 17.2 overs. Luke Ronchi exploded at the end with a maximum and a boundary in the last over. Bumrah emerged with splendid figures going for just 15 runs in his four over spell with one wicket. Nehra, Raina and Ravindra Jadeja all picked a wicket with economical figures. Ashwin was a tad bit expensive going for 32 runs in his allotted four overs.
