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Southee said they are confident to take a horses for courses approach. (AP Photo) VISAKHAPATNAM: Having turned the tables after a shoddy show in the Test series, New Zealand speedster Tim Southee is confident that the Black Caps will be scripting history by winning their first ever bilateral ODI series in India.
“I think the guys are pretty excited to do what no other NZ side has ever done before — come over here and win a one-day series. The excitement in the group is very high,” the New Zealand pacer said on the eve of the series decider.
India-New Zealand bilateral rivalry dates back to 1988 when the Dilip Vengsarkar-led team made a clean 4-0 sweep against John Wright and Co.
In 1995, Mohammad Azharuddin’s Indian team won 3-2, and four years later a Sachin Tendulkar-led team produced an identical result.
Their worst defeat has been in 2010 when Gautam Gambhir led India to a 5-0 rout against Ross Taylor and Co.
“Everyone is really looking forward to tomorrow. It’s been a long tour for some guys and it’ll be nice to finish what’s been a tough tour on a high note. The spirits are high and everyone is excited about the challenge for tomorrow,” Southee added.
The biggest takeaway from their 19-run Ranchi win was Kane Williamson’s assessment to read the conditions perfectly as the Kiwi skipper not only opted to bowl ignoring the dew but picked three spinners on a surface that surprisingly behaved slow.
“I think it’s just the communication. From the batters spent some town in the middle and what they find tough they feed that information to the bowlers,” Southee explained the reason.
“If we bowl we give information to batsman. Not every time we can get it right. Just give ourselves the best chance to read the conditions and adapt quickly.”
Asked about their assessment of the Visakhapatnam wicket, he said they are confident to take a horses for courses approach.
“Kane and (coach) Mike will look at the wicket and they’ll come up with the best side they think suited for the wicket,” he said about the surface that has seen India’s monumental 356/9 against Pakistan in the venue’s first ODI in 2005.
“We’ve chopped and changed throughout the series. The pitches have changed in each game. So I guess it’ll be whatever we think the best mix is for this game.”
He further said exciting time lies ahead for the New Zealand ODI side with their three allrounders James Neesham, Mitchell Santner and Corey Anderson young and learning the tricks of the trade.
“They’re all very young and still learning the game and so I think it’s exciting in the years to come with those three guys all in their early to mid-20s with big future ahead of them. I don’t think it’s a worry at all, it’s one of their strengths going forward over the next possible 10 years, we’ll have three guys fighting out keeping each other on their toes.”
India’s win in Dharamsala and Mohali had Kohli written all over it as the star batsman steered the chase with his unbeaten knocks.
“He’s a quality player especially when India is chasing, his record chasing is phenomenal. He’s obviously a big wicket when any side plays against India. Him and Dhoni they’re records are unbelievable.
Southee said it’s not just Kohli but the others also pose an equal threat.
“We have to keep taking wickets. They got quality players in and around those two. We saw the games we’ve won its come down to their last wicket partnerships. They’ve scrambled few runs as well. Not only Kohli but it’s important to keep taking wickets.”
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Kedar Jadhav said he varies his action according the batsman so as to make it difficult to read. (AFP Photo) VISAKHAPATNAM: From a specialist batsman to someone whose off-breaks are proving to be more than handy, Kedar Jadhav believes that the key to his transformation is accepting challenges and knowing how to overcome it.
Jadhav has bowled 18 overs in four games taking six wickets for 73 runs at a decent economy rate of 4.05.
ALSO READ: Rich rewards for Kedar Jadhav
“It’s all about taking this responsibility and accepting the challenge that comes at you and then, coming out of the challenge successfully,” Jadhav said on the eve of their fifth and final One-dayer against New Zealand.
ALSO READ: Kedar Jadhav happy to grab ‘great opportunity’
Jadhav, who’s playing in place of an indisposed Suresh Raina, bowled for the first time in international cricket when MS Dhoni gave him the ball ahead of the regular spin duo of Axar Patel and Amit Mishra on a seaming Dharamsala track in the first one-dayer.
“Here, you need to contribute if the captain is asking you to bowl (some) overs. You don’t have to bowl (just) as a part-time bowler. You need to take the responsibility with the ball or bat,” Jadhav said.
“I guess when you play for India, you have to contribute in every possible way you can. While playing in the IPL, I do that with wicketkeeping — by contributing rather than batting,” Jadhav said.
Jadhav said he varies his action according the batsman so as to make it difficult to read.
“It’s both – a bit of my action and the pace I vary according to the batsmen that makes it difficult (for them) to read I guess. Mahi bhai asked me to bowl. Obviously, Mahi wants a few bowlers from the top five or six batsmen to bowl at least 4-5 overs. If a bowler has a bad day, it helps (the team) you know.”
Jadhav who got out for a duck in the fourth ODI in Ranchi is yet to click as a batsman and he said he’s to learn quickly. Youngster Manish Pandey too is missing among runs and Jadhav said they would have to get into their act soon.
“Obviously, the opportunity has been missed, especially in the last game. But it’s still early stages for Manish (Pandey) and me. We need to grab whatever opportunity is thrown at us. We need to learn quickly from the opportunities we have missed. That’s what international cricket is all about – delivering when it matters most to the team.”
An attacking middle-order batsman, Jadhav who came into the limelight with a 29-ball-50 for Delhi Daredevils on his IPL debut, also spoke about his favourite sweep shot.
“Sweep is a natural shot to me. It’s my strength. If a spinner is bowling to my pads in the middle overs and when you don’t wanna take too many high-risk shots.
“That’s the shot which you can take when the bowler tries to bowl outside the leg stump or off stump. You can paddle it out because we have 4 fielders on the leg side and behind the square, you have only one (fielder). If you pass that fielder, you get a sure-shot boundary. It’s a good shot to play when the bowlers attack my pads.”
Jadhav also backed their batting unit which looks too much dependent on Virat Kohli.
“Virat is a great player and it’s always nice if he scores. It makes life easy for the batsmen coming next to get whatever runs (possible). But it’s not like that (we’re overdependent on him). We have too many quality batsmen in the team and we need to deliver whenever we get the opportunity.”
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It appears this could be MS Dhoni’s final match at the ground where he made his mark as an international cricketer. (TOI Photo) April 5, 2005. A date that holds a very special place in Indian cricket history. On this day at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium on the outskirts of Visakhapatnam, in the first international match played there, the first ODI hundred by an Indian wicketkeeper was scored.
The man of the moment was a rookie MS Dhoni, in his fifth ODI and henna-stained locks yet to become a fashion statement in India.
After scores of 0, 12, 7* and 3, Dhoni was sent up the order to No 3 against Pakistan and proceed to smash 148 off 123 balls with 15 fours and four sixes, setting the platform for India’s 356/9. In that innings, the cricketing world woke up to Dhoni’s potential. A star was born, and how.
The rest, as the saying goes, is history.
Dhoni has since played three more ODIs at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, one of which produced a duck and the other an unbeaten 51 off 40 balls, for a batting average of 99.50 in three innings there.
Now, as he leads India in the final ODI against New Zealand on Saturday, it appears this could be Dhoni’s final match at the ground where he made his mark as an international cricketer. In the third ODI he batted himself up the order at No 4 and scored 80 off 91 balls. In the last match, he again batted at No 4 and made 11 off 31 balls. His likely final ODI in his hometown of Ranchi didn’t go to plan, from the fan’s perspective who would have loved to have their cult hero smash India to victory.
What chances Dhoni returns to the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium and delivers one final hurrah?
Relive that electric hundred from Dhoni here:
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India captain MS Dhoni with Virat Kohli. (PTI Photo) VISAKHAPATNAM: Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s leadership as well as finishing skills will be put through a stern test when an inconsistent India take on a rejuvenated New Zealand in the series-deciding fifth and final cricket ODI, here on Saturday.
ALSO READ: Dhoni needs strong support cast to rediscover finishing touch
With the series locked at 2-2, Dhoni and his men will be eager to clinch the issue while history beckons Kane Williamson’s men as they have a glorious opportunity to taste their maiden success in a bilateral ODI rubber.
ALSO READ: Dhoni should stick to batting at No 4, feels Ganguly
The only thing that can play spoilsport is the cyclone threat which can lead to complete washout.
ALSO READ: We are geared up for the series decider, says Ross Taylor
While Dhoni’s captaincy may not be under immediate threat but a series loss against New Zealand will certainly raise questions about ‘Captain Cool’s’ ability to marshall his resources after his much publicised admission of being unable to rotate strike lower down the order.
Under Dhoni, India lost three ODI series – 1-2 against Bangladesh in Bangladesh, 1-4 against Australia Down Under and 2-3 at home against South Africa. The only ODI series victory in the last 18 months has been against a lowly Zimbabwe.
Away from home for four months spanning two continents, New Zealand’s only success was a 2-0 win against a lowly Zimbabwe, following which they drew South Africa 1-1 before being whitewashed 0-3 by India in the Tests.
Their ODI campaign started off on a sour note in Dharamasala but some strong batting performances by skipper Kane Williamson and Martin Guptill in Delhi and Ranchi respectively have managed to catch India off guard and level the five-match series 2-2.
That they have never won against India in four bilateral contests since 1988 will be a big motivation for the Black Caps to buck the trend and return home with an act of redemption.
Weather permitting, a tantalising finish is on the cards as India would be equally hungry for success at the Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium, a venue where they boast of a 4-1 record.
Their last win has been against Sri Lanka, a 5-0 whitewash way back in November-2014 and an under-fire Dhoni would not want another series loss at the fag end of his career.
The world No.4 India have just three more ODIs, against England, ahead of the coveted Champions Trophy in June next year and it would be an opportunity for Dhoni to give them a boost against a team which is ranked a notch higher.
The over-reliance on Virat Kohli has also been evident during the series as Indian Test captain was the prime performer in both victories during the first four matches so far.
With their opening pair of Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane yet to provide a much-needed solid start, India’s batting is centred around their no 1 batsman Kohli.
Consider this, India’s both the wins of the series had Kohli anchor the chase be it the 85 not out in a low-scoring chase in Dharamsala, or his majestic unbeaten 154 that hunted down New Zealand’s challenging 285 in Mohali.
Chasing a modest 261 in the fourth ODI in Ranchi, Rahane returned to form with a half-century while Kohli looked in full flow on a slow wicket but both failed to convert their starts, and it was a familiar story for the inexperienced middle-order.
Failure or not, Indian fabled opener Sharma has been a permanent member of the line-up with Dhoni seeming to be in no mood to give youngsters the chance and Mandeep Singh is seen warming the bench.
Sharma’s last big knock came in Australia, and it’s been more than nine months he’s yet to score a century in either longer or shorter format. His scores in the ongoing series read 14, 15, 13 and 11, something that is hurting India’s cause more than anything else.
It’s high time that the world record holder for ODI individual score of 264 return to form in the most-important match of the series, and at his mother’s home town he would hope to make it special.
It’s the same venue where Dhoni had got instant stardom with his fiery 123-ball 148 to take India to a huge 356/9 in their 58-run win over Pakistan in the first match of the venue.
The Dhoni special had come batting at no 3. The Indian skipper may not be like the old ‘Dhoni’ but having promoted to no 4 in Mohali where he scored a 91-ball 80 his intentions are right, if not his reflexes.
Following up with his brilliant half-century, Dhoni disappointed his home crowd with a 31-ball 11 before being cleaned up by James Neesham, and missing the line completely.
In his heyday, he would have dispatched it for six but Dhoni is struggling to get back to his old rhythm.
He has also made a stunning revelation of ‘losing ability’ to freely rotate in the middle as to expect a Dhoni special would be like expecting a youngster to finish a chase.
As for bowling, India have done reasonably well, especially the spin trio of Amit Mishra, Axar Patel and part-timer Kedar Jadhav who have ensured that they have not missed the regulars, R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja.
On pace front, India would hope that Jasprit Bumrah who was indisposed and was replaced by a lacklustre Dhawal Kulkarni returns to full fitness.
Opener Martin Guptill’s return to form in Ranchi to go with the consistency of Tom Latham who has five half-centuries from seven matches, combined Tests and ODIs, on the tour will give New Zealand a massive advantage up front.
Skipper Williamson at number 3 too has been consistent but it’s their middle order who has often frittered away good starts, be it in Ranchi where they were on course for 300 or in the previous ODIs.
Left-arm spinner Anton Devcich who was included as a third spinner in Ranchi looked ordinary as Williamson may not mind bringing back either Corey Anderson or Matt Henry.
With conditions overcast, the last thing India would want is a wash-out. Despite weakening, cyclone Kyant and has gone further down south, there’s forecast of localised downpours as both the teams will keep their fingers crossed.
The venue is slated to host its maiden Test in less than a month’s time, when India take on England from November 17.
As a matter of fact, around the same time Visakhapatnam was ravaged by cyclone Hudhud and the scheduled last ODI here between India and West Indies was cancelled without a ball bowled on October 14, 2014.
It remains to be seen whether India give themselves a Diwali gift or New Zealand return home with their heads held high.
Teams
India: MS Dhoni (captain & wk), Rohit Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane, Virat Kohli, Axar Patel, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Hardik Pandya, Amit Mishra, Dhawal Kulkarni, Umesh Yadav, Jasprit Bumrah, Jayant Yadav and Mandeep Singh.
New Zealand: Kane Williamson (c), Martin Guptill, Tom Latham, Ross Taylor, James Neesham, BJ Watling, Anton Devcich, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Trent Boult, Ish Sodhi, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi, Matt Henry and Doug Bracewell.
Match starts: 1.30 pm IST.
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MS Dhoni has a lot of issues to address. (AP Photo) MUMBAI: In movies, lead actors, despite having great lines or scenes written for them, depend on their co-actors’ pauses or reactions or cues to elevate a scene or situation to the next level. The same can be said about sport.
ALSO READ: Dhoni should stick to batting at No 4, feels Ganguly
“Batting down the order is one of the toughest things to do. You don’t get a (ready-made) player who’s complete, who bats at No.5, 6 or 7, all the time.”
Skipper MS Dhoni chose his words carefully while addressing the media as he analysed India’s 19-run defeat to New Zealand to leave the series tied at 2-2, with everything to play for in Vizag on Saturday.That is, if cyclone Kyant is kind enough to allow play. Dhoni is right. Suresh Raina, Yuvraj Singh, Mohd Kaif and Dhoni himself developed those skills to finish a game over a course of 15-20 ODIs and repeatedly being put in such situations.
In the 1990s, invariably it was Ajay Jadeja and Robin Singh who performed that role.
So, what skills are required for batting at that number? Ability to read the situation, the wicket and the calmness to not go too early for the big shot and perish in the process.
Manish Pandey and Kedar Jadhav have been assigned that role now and neither of them have played long enough in those positions to succeed consistently. They are also by-products of the IPL era where they are required to play the big shots. Pandey perished trying to do that on Wednesday while Jadhav perished attempting a cute stroke at the Kotla. Ditto for Hardik Pandya. What the finishers of the past, named above, benefitted from was a crack opening pair in either Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly or Ganguly and Sehwag, or Sehwag and Tendulkar, who invariably got the team off to sublime starts. Pandey and Jadhav have not enjoyed that luxury.
They have also been a bit crippled by the fact that the skipper’s hitting skills and the ability to rotate strike on difficult pitches have been on the wane over the last 18 months.
In Mohali, when he scored 80, Dhoni had good allies in the form of a true pitch and a red-hot Virat Kohli. Kohli’s skill to find the gaps consistently enabled Dhoni to create his own tempo and rhythm and play a key role in the win. In Ranchi, on a tired pitch, and with Kohli gone and the game still in balance, he had to make all the play on his own.
As his 11 off 31 balls illustrated, he wasn’t equipped to do it. Ajinkya Rahane batted well for his 57, but he is not the batsman that can take you home. Not yet anyway. He has hardly batted beyond the 35th over, barring the odd knock. While Dhoni will go down in history as one of India’s and the game’s greatest ever middle-order players, he is right now in the need of support when it comes to injecting momentum in chases. At 30 or 32, one could hope for stirring solos from him. Without Suresh Raina or Yuvraj Singh and without a solid and in-form top-order, those solos won’t happen.
It was proved in Sydney where Dhoni fed off Pandey (104* off 81 balls) to score 34 off 42 balls as India chased down 331. In Kanpur last year, against South Africa, Rohit Sharma slammed a sublime 150 and till he was there Dhoni did not feel troubled. But the moment Rohit departed with India needing 34 from 23 balls, Dhoni struggled.
ALL SET FOR DECIDER: India and New Zealand have been tied 2-2 twice in the past in five-match series. In 1995, India managed to win the final ODI at the Brabourne Stadium to clinch the series under Mohammad Azharuddin. In 1999, Tendulkar led India to a series win in the fifth ODI at the Kotla.
PROBLEM AREAS FOR INDIA UNDER-PERFORMING TOP-ORDER: Since 2013, very rarely have India not got good starts. In the four ODIs here, Indiaâ€s starts have been 49, 21, 13 and 19. Rohit Sharma is yet to cross 15 in the four ODIs and he is one of Indiaâ€s key players. His lack of form has put Kohli and Dhoni under pressure.
IN-EXPERIENCED MIDDLE-ORDER: Axar Patel, Manish Pandey, Hardik Pandya and Kedar Jadhav may have played the odd great knock, but they haven’t been in the trenches fighting for the side and rescuing the team from tough situations enough number of times. With Raina (unwell) or Yuvraj (ignored), the team lacks experience in tight scenarios.
PROFLIGATE BOWLING: India have so far bowled 30 wides in the series which is five extra overs. Umesh Yadav has contributed to 11 of those. In the absence of Shami, he was expected to lead the attack, but inconsistency has been his trusted friend and has always been reluctant to leave his company.
AXAR’S ROLE: When Dhoni was asked about Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar during the 2009 Champions Trophy, he has snidely remarked, I don’t know whether he is a batsman who could bowl or a bowler who could bat. Axar Patel, who has enjoyed the trust of the skipper falls in the same boat too as he has not inspired with the bat or ball, barring the last game in Ranchi where he scored 38.
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Taylor termed India outstanding at home. (Getty Images) VISAKHAPATNAM: Eyeing a historic bilateral ODI series win in India, New Zealand senior batsman Ross Taylor on Thursday said they are hungry to win the five-match series decider on Saturday and make up for the 0-3 whitewash in Tests.
“You don’t often win series away from home especially in the sub-continent. It’s a pretty exciting time. Hopefully we can get better than what we have in the past,” the former New Zealand captain told the New Zealand Cricket website as they checked into the coastal Andhra city this evening.
New Zealand have never won a bilateral ODI series against India in India.It is in sharp contrast to their 18-11 record in India in a multi-team tournament.
But having defeated India by 19 runs in Ranchi yesterday, Kane Williamson and Co are determined to return home on a high after being on the road since the Zimbabwe tour in July.
“Four months on the road becomes tough but going into a decider it’s pretty easy to get up for. We have not won a series here. We are looking forward to it. We know what we need to do to win here,” Taylor, who had captained the side on their last tour in 2010 in a 0-5 result, added.
Terming India ‘outstanding at home’ he said: “Hopefully we can continue the progress we have made in the last couple of games. Hopefully we can replicate our performance in three days time.”
Williamson read the conditions beautifully in Ranchi to opt to bat as Martin Guptill’s 72 took them to 260/7 which proved to be a winning total on a difficult Ranchi wicket.
“It was a pretty tough wicket. Martin and Latham got us to a good start. Once the ball got softer, it showed how tough it was to rotate the strike.
“Kane was struggling out there as well. But we were always confident to defend 260. We picked up crucial wickets along the way. Happy with the result. Going into the match with six bowlers gave Kane a bit of leeway with the bowling changes. It was pretty tough once the ball got a bit older. But we knew we had to keep wickets in hand. It was never going to be easy to score 80 or 90 in the last 10.”
Winter may have already set in Ranchi, but surprisingly there was no dew yesterday.
“We were fortunate that there was no dew out there. It shows a lot of character, not only from the side but the team management. We have been on the road for a long period of time but three more days to get ourselves up for a very crucial match.”
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Indian skipper MS Dhoni plays a shot during the fourth one-dayer against New Zealand in Ranchi. (AP Photo) RANCHI: India’s limited overs skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni has said that the job of a finisher is one of the toughest and it is difficult to find a ‘complete’ player who is adept at batting in lower order and take the team through when the chips are down.
“Batting down the order is one of the toughest things to do especially on wickets like these. There will be pressure to rotate, to get a partnership.It’s not easy. You don’t always get a player who’s complete and bats at no 5, 6 or 7,” Dhoni said in the post-match news conference.
Ajinkya Rahane (57) and Virat Kohli (45) gave India a fluent start but their modest 261-run chase went horribly wrong after the hosts folded for 241 in 48.4 overs despite being 128-2 at one stage.
Lower down the order, Axar Patel (38) and Amit Mishra (14) had revived India’s hope but before they could convert it into a match-winning partnership the latter was run out.
Asking for more patience to be shown with the inexperienced middle-order, Dhoni said: “Batting down the order on wickets like this when you’re chasing is always going to be tough. You will have to give them time. They will find their way. After they get more and more games like this they will figure out what suits best for them to chase a total.
“On a wicket like this, when the score was not too much, you need partnerships. With two new balls, it comes on to bat better initially. The wicket slows down. It does not come on to the bat that well. It was a difficult phase and it becomes difficult to rotate.
“When you have partnerships going a lot of stuff becomes easier. If you lose wickets at that point of time, it adds to the pressure. Bowlers tend to bowl in right areas and becomes difficult,” he added.
With this win, New Zealand levelled the five-match series 2-2 and now head to Visakhapatnam for the final one-dayer on Saturday.
One of the best run chasers in world cricket, Kohli was caught behind in his attempt to cut a wide delivery from leg-spinner Ish Sodhi and his rare failure coincided with India losing the match.
Asked whether India were heavily reliant on Kohli, Dhoni said: “It’s not like that. The stats don’t exactly reflect the exact scenario.”
India have not won a bilateral series since November 2014, if one discounts the two clean sweeps against Zimbabwe in July 2015 and June 2016.
Pointing out that India had played less one-day matches in the last one and half months, Dhoni said: “We have not played much ODIs. In between we had Zimbabwe. It’s very difficult.
“Also I’ve batted at different position in that period. Our top order was batting brilliantly. So everything is very different.”
Dhoni pointed out that the pitch was sluggish and slowed down, drawing parallel to the Delhi ODI where New Zealand won by six runs, defending 242 in the second one-dayer.
“There have been a couple of game where the wicket has been on the slower side, where the opposition, if they scored 300-plus there’s more often you keep playing your shots to chase it down,” he said.
“When the wickets are slow, and required run-rate is not too high, that’s when you calculate and play out a few overs thinking of a partnership. I feel that’s where it lies as of now. We have quite a few batsmen who can do the job.”
India had lost opener Rohit Sharma (11) cheaply for the team’s score of 19 but Rahane and Kohli put life into the chase with a 79-run partnership for the second wicket.
“The partnership was needed more than anything else at that point of time. Given the requirement of the game, he was batting well and generally he bats in that fashion. I don’t think there was anything wrong in it,” Dhoni said.
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James Neesham let one slip through the gates of MS Dhoni (AP Photo) NEW DELHI: A look at the major talking points from the fourth ODI between India and New Zealand played at Ranchi’s JSCA International Stadium on Wednesday.
A bright start and a dull end
New Zealand began brightly after opting to bat first. After safely seeing through the first over of Umesh Yadav, Martin Guptill opened up and began the attack. Dhawal Kulkarni was the first victim, taking him for three fours in the second over of the match.The template was set – Guptill would be the aggressor while Tom Latham will play on the merit. The formula worked as the duo collected 12 fours between them to take the total to 80/0 in the first 10 overs. However, the final 10 overs were a stark contrast in which New Zealand scored 61 runs for the loss of three wickets. Just three fours came during this period – one off the final ball – and New Zealand were restricted to 260/7.
Mishra weaves his magic
Amit Mishra continued to make an impact fourth time in a row with yet another impressive performance. When he was introduced, in the 11th over, the momentum was with the opposition but he did his job in applying the brakes on the run-rate and the pressure resulted in Latham playing a loose shot off Axar Patel and thus losing his wicket. He went wicketless in the first five overs but was tight allowing just 24 runs in them.
But he came good, at a crucial time, severely denting New Zealand batting with the wicket of a well-set Kane Williamson. He extracted extra bounce which left Williamson surprised and his attempt at a cut resulted in a thick outside edge that was taken by MS Dhoni. And in his next over, he dismissed James Neesham, who scored a counter-attacking half-century in Mohali. He finished with 2/41 from 10 overs, taking his tally to 10 wickets in the series.
Guptill shrugs off poor form
Guptill, given yet another opportunity to make amends, had a lucky day as he survived two dropped catches to score 72 from 84 deliveries. His 12 boundaries – some exceptional strokes and a few streaky ones helped him shrug off the poor form that saw him scoring a combined 39 runs from the first three ODIs of the series. Together with Latham, he didn’t allow the new-ball pair of Umesh and Kulkarni to settle in. He was lucky though, reprieved twice when Mishra, on both occasions, failed to hold onto the catches. But later on, Hardik Pandya beat him with the bounce, inducing an outside edge.
Williamson breaks the trend
New Zealand won the toss, for the first time on the tour in their eighth attempts. In the ongoing series, India have opted to field after winning the coin toss on all three occasions. Dhoni likes to chase and two out three times he has tasted success in the series while doing that. It was expected that Williamson might want to shake things up a little bit in the fourth ODI after calling it right and asking India to set a target for a change.
But he chose to field first. He based his decision on the ‘tired surface’ and backed it with the inclusion of two more spinners in his playing XI making it clear he expected the pitch to be slow. Dhoni later revealed he would have liked to field had he won the toss. So, no matter which team won the toss, India would have chased anyway.
Neesham’s deadly strikes
James Neesham failed to get runs but he more than made up for it with the twin dismissals of Ajinkya Rahane and Dhoni that brought New Zealand back in the game. Likewise Guptill, Rahane too marked a return to form with a fluid fifty and looked set for a big one when Neesham kept one full and straight that hit him flush on the front pad. The umpire had no hesitation in raising his finger. And in his next over, he trapped the big fish – letting one slip through the gates to clean up India captain Dhoni for 11, leaving the capacity Ranchi crowd stunned.
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