India hold nerve to clinch one-day series against Kiwis
KOHLI AND ROHIT HIT CENTURIES TO GUIDE HOSTS HOME IN A THRILLER
ast bowler Jasprit Bumrah helped India pull off a thrilling six-run win over New Zealand in the third and final One Day International yesterday to enable the hosts to clinch the series 2-1.
Bumrah claimed three wickets and effected a crucial run out of dangerman Tom Latham in the 48th over to hold off the spirited Black Caps who very nearly pulled off what would have been a sensational victory chasing 337 at Kanpur’s Green Park Stadium.
The Kiwis, who looked like favourites with 35 runs required from the last 24 balls, eventually ended on 331-7 despite Latham’s 52-ball 65.
Earlier, sparkling centuries by opening batsman Rohit Sharma and skipper Virat Kohli steered India to 337-6 after they were put in to bat.
Sharma, who smashed 147 off 138 balls, and Kohli, who made 113, became the first pair in ODIs to record four double-century stands between them after putting together 230 runs for the second wicket.
But it was the superb death bowling show by Bumrah that stood out in the big-scoring game. Leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal also chipped in with two crucial wickets in the middle overs.
Blazing start
Kiwi opener Colin Munro hit a quick-fire 75 to give the visitors a blazing start despite losing his partner Martin Guptill for 10 to Bumrah.
Munro put together a crucial 109-run partnership for the second wicket with skipper Kane Williamson, who made 64, as the pair took the attack to the opposition bowlers.
The left-handed Munro, who smashed 8 fours and 3 sixes in his 62-ball knock, took a special liking to Indian pace spearhead Bhuvneshwar Kumar, whose first five overs cost 51 runs.
Chahal soon spun into action to send Munro and Williamson trudging back to the pavilion as New Zealand stumbled in their chase.
It was then that the lefthanded Latham got down to the grind, forming crucial partnerships with Ross Taylor and Henry Nicholls and take the attack to the opposition.
Kumar bowled Nicholls for 37 and Bumrah soon took over to dash New Zealand’s hopes of winning their first series on Indian soil.
The action now shifts to the three Twenty20 internationals starting November 1 in New Delhi.
India
R. Sharma c Southee b Santner 147 S. Dhawan c Williamson b Southee 14 V. Kohli c Williamson b Southee 113 H. Pandya c Southee b Santner 8 M.S. Dhoni c Munro b Milne 25 K. Jadhav c Guptill b Milne 18 D. Karthik not out 4
(lb1, w7) 8 (6 wickets; 50 overs) 337
1-29 (Dhawan), 2-259 (Sharma), 3-273 (Pandya), 4-302 (Kohli), 5-331 (Dhoni), 6-337 (Jadhav)
Southee 10-0-66-2 (w1), Boult 10-0-81-0 (w3), Milne 10-0-64-2 (w2), Grandhomme 8-0-57-0, Santner 10-058-2, Munro 2-0-10-0 (w1)
Extras Total Fall of wickets:
Bowling: New Zealand
M. Guptill c Karthik b Bumrah 10 C. Munro b Chahal 75 K. Williamson c Dhoni b Chahal 64 R. Taylor c Jadhav b Bumrah 39 T. Latham run out (Dhoni, Bumrah) 65 H. Nicholls b B. Kumar 37 C. de Grandhomme not out 8 M. Santner c S. Dhawan b Bumrah 9 T. Southee not out 4
(lb-4 w-16) 20 (for 7 wickets, 50 overs) 331
1-44 M. Guptill, 2-153 C. Munro, 3-168 K. Williamson, 4-247 R. Taylor, 5-306 H. Nicholls, 6-312 T. Latham, 7-326 M. Santner.
A. Milne, T. Boult B. Kumar 10-0-92-1 (w-7) J. Bumrah 10-0-47-3 (w-2) H. Pandya 5-0-47-0 (w-2) A. Patel 7-0-40-0 (w-1) K. Jadhav 8-0-54-0 (w-3) Y. Chahal 10-0-47-2 (w-1)
Extras Total Fall of wickets: Did not bat: Bowling: