Mishra spins web around NZ to help India clinch ODI series
Runs scored by Kohli in four ODIs in Vizag visakhapatnam — Leg-spinner Amit Mishra claimed five wickets to skittle New Zealand out for a paltry 79 as India thrashed the Black Caps by 190 runs to clinch the five-match one-day international series 3-2 in Visakhapatnam on Saturday.
The visitors, who were chasing a target of 270, registered their lowest ODI total against India as the innings lasted for just 23.1 overs.
Mishra, who returned with impressive figures of 5 for 18 in six overs, claimed 15 wickets in the five matches and was judged the man of the match and the player of the series.
Earlier Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli set up the win with their gritty half-centuries to help India post 269 for six after electing to bat first in the series decider. But it was the Mishra-led bowling attack that helped India keep their winning momentum after whitewashing New Zealand in the three Tests.
India captain Mahendra Singh Number of overs in which New Zealand got all out Dhoni introduced spin into the attack in the ninth over after the pacers had provided the early breakthroughs including that of opposition skipper Kane Williamson.
It paid off as Mishra’s double blow in the 16th over to get Ross Taylor (19) and BJ Watling (0) out in the space of three deliveries de- railed New Zealand’s chase. The visitors slipped to 66 for five.
Debutant spinner Jayant Yadav then got his first international wicket after he trapped Corey Anderson for nought.
Mishra then ran through the New Zealand middle and lower-order as the innings saw a total of five ducks.
The Black Caps’ previous low against India was their 103 in Chennai in 2010. With the series tied at 2-2, the hosts opted to bat first as Sharma (70) and Kohli (65) put together a 79-run second wicket stand to lay a solid foundation for the middle order.
India were at one point eyeing a bigger score, only to be pulled back
A. Rahane c Latham b Neesham R. Sharma c Neesham b Boult V. Kohli c Guptill b Sodhi M.S. Dhoni lbw b Santner M. Pandey c Boult b Sodhi K. Jadhav not out A. Patel b Boult J. Yadav not out Extras: (b1, lb1, w7) 1-40 (Rahane), 2-119 (Sharma), 3-190 (Dhoni), 4-195 (Pandey), 5-220 (Kohli), 6-266 (Patel) Southee 10-0-56-0, Boult 10-052-2, Neesham 6-0-30-1, Santner 10-0-36-1, Sodhi 10-0-66-2, Anderson 4-0-27-0 J. Bumrah, A. Mishra, U. Yadav
by the visiting bowlers, as pacer Trent Boult and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi claimed two wickets each.
Sharma, who had struggled with scores of 14, 15, 13 and 11 in the series, regained his form, after losing his opening partner Ajinkya Rahane early, to register his 29th ODI fifty.
Sharma hit 5 fours and 3 sixes
M. Guptill b U Yadav T. Latham c Yadav b Bumrah K. Williamson c Jadhav b A. Patel R. Taylor c Dhoni b Mishra J. Neesham b Mishra B. Watling b Mishra C. Anderson lbw b Yadav M. Santner b A. Patel T. Southee st Dhoni b Mishra I. Sodhi c Rahane b Mishra T. Boult not out Extras: (w6) 0 19 27 19 3 0 0 4 0 0 1 6
1-0 (Guptill), 2-28 (Latham), 3-63 (Williamson), 4-66 (Taylor), 5-66 (Watling), 6-74 (Anderson), 7-74 (Neesham), 8-74 (Southee), 9-76 (Sodhi), 10-79 (Santner).
Yadav 4-0-28-1 (w-1), Bumrah 5-0-16-1, A. Patel 4.1-0-9-2, A. Mishra 6-2-185 (w-5), J. Yadav 4-0-8-1.
during his 65-ball stay but did not capitalise on a reprieve at 66 by Ross Taylor as he fell to Boult in the very next over.
Kohli carried on the good work, making the most of his early lifeline on eight when Sodhi failed to latch on to a return drive off his own bowling.
The in-form Kohli put on 71 runs for the third wicket with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who scored 41, as the duo batted with resolve.
Kohli played a controlled knock to register his 38th ODI fifty as he struck a fine balance between attack and defence.
Dhoni, who is trying to settle in his new number four slot, also played a watchful innings before being trapped lbw to Mitchell Santner after missing an attempted sweep.
New Zealand spinners kept chipping away with Sodhi getting Manish Pandey for nought and then the big wicket of Kohli in the 44th over to check India’s surge.
However a late assault from Kedar Jadhav, who remained unbeaten on 39, and Axar Patel, who struck an 18-ball 24, gave the hosts’ total more muscle on a tricky pitch.
The batting duo added 46 runs for the sixth wicket to add 38 runs to the Indian total in the last five overs. —