Twitter Reactions: New Zealand defy Ravindra Jadeja and Saini to win the series

Ravindra Jadeja tried his best to win the game for India but couldn't.

By CricTracker Staff verified

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New Zealand. (Photo by Hannah Peters/Getty Images)

Ravindra Jadeja was the one who gave hope to India with his batting in the World Cup semi-final and he was again at the helm at the Eden Park. The visitors had lost seven wickets in more than 120 runs needed to win and once again he took the game deep along with Navdeep Saini. The southpaw also got to his half-century but once again couldn’t win the game for India as New Zealand held their nerve once again to win the game and the series.

India didn’t get off to a good start in the chase. Mayank Agarwal could muster only three runs before Hamish Bennett induced an edge of his bat. Prithvi Shaw crunched a few front foot and back foot drives. He didn’t run even a single scoring all six boundaries in his 24-run knock. But the debutant Kyle Jamieson castled him and soon Virat Kohli was also sent back thanks to veteran Tim Southee finding his line.

The tourists were tottering at 57/3 in the 10th over and soon matters got worse with KL Rahul probably enduring his first failure on the tour. Kedar Jadhav also failed to stay around in the middle to leave the team reeling at 96/5. Shreyas Iyer, meanwhile, kept his cool and churned out runs to stitch 33 runs with Jadeja. He also got to his half-century and then threw his wicket away while trying to take on Bennett.

The hopes looked shattered for India of making a comeback when Shardul Thakur was dismissed with the score reading 153/7 in the 32nd over. But Navdeep Saini and Jadeja had other ideas. The duo played patiently adding 76 runs for the eighth wicket in less than 14 overs. The former, in particular, was extremely impressive hitting sixes after getting his eye in.

But just when it felt that they will take the game deep, Jamieson bluffed Saini in the 45th over and castled him. Nevertheless, he 45 runs off 49 balls. Jadeja, meanwhile, was just rotating the strike and was waiting for the final overs to begin. Until he was there, India were hopeful and the southpaw didn’t disappoint. He manoeuvred the ball cleverly to run two along with Yuzvendra Chahal to bring the equation within the grasp with 14 balls to go.

However, the fate had something else written for him even today. Chahal tried to take an extra run off the misfield and was run-out in the 48th over and with nine down, Jadeja was left with no option but to try and go for boundaries in the penultimate over. In an attempt to go for a six off Neesham then, he was holed out at the long on but not before scaring New Zealand.

He was the last batsman to fall for India as they got bowled out for 251 runs falling 22 short of the target. The BlackCaps are finally back on track as they have already sealed the series with a game to go.

Ross Taylor propels New Zealand amidst the middle-order collapse

Earlier, New Zealand got off to a great start courtesy Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls. The former was in his zone on the day and played some scintillating strokes. Nicholls once again played a calm hand making sure that his partner gets more strike. The duo stitched 93 runs for the opening wicket in less than 17 overs before Yuzvendra Chahal struck to send back Nicholls on 41.

Tom Blundell then came out and played without much pressure as the hosts stayed abreast with the run-rate. Guptill also rotated the strike and it seemed like he was determined to get a big one. But it wasn’t to be. New Zealand, from being comfortable at 142/1 in the 27th over, collapsed to 197/8 in the space of 15 overs.

It started with Blundell miscuing one off Shardul Thakur after which Guptill misjudged a single while on 79. Tom Latham, James Neesham, Colin de Grandhomme and Mark Chapman all returned in the space of 16 runs. Among them, Neesham’s dismissal was special as Ravindra Jadeja hit the bullseye to run the Kiwi batsman out displaying his exceptional fielding skills again.

After Southee’s wicket fell in the 42nd over, it seemed New Zealand will end up on a below-par total. But Ross Taylor was calmly watching all the harakiri from his teammates at the other end. He took the debutant Kyle Jamieson by his side and added some important runs. Rather, India failed to take the last two wickets as both the batsmen played really well in the death overs.

Taylor continued his good run against India and remained unbeaten on 73 off 74 deliveries with six fours and a couple of sixes. Jamieson also played his part scoring 25 off 24 balls with a four and two sixes, one of which came off Jasprit Bumrah. New Zealand, despite the collapse, finished with 273/7 after 50 overs as Chahal finished with three wickets from his 10 overs.

And the partnership turned out to be match-winning in the end for the Kiwis as India could only reach 251 in the response.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

 

 

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