Twitterati unhappy with Ambati Rayudu's slow knock in the second ODI against New Zealand

Team India, after chasing in their last four games, batted first in the second ODI against New Zealand to post a mammoth total on the board. Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan fired together much to the bowlers’ agony and then the middle-order finished it off well as they ended up on 324/4 after 50 overs. However, many felt that the Men in Blue should’ve crossed the 350-run mark and Twitterati blamed Ambati Rayudu for the same.

India’s number four isn’t having a fruitful Trans-Tasman tour. He failed miserably in the first two ODIs in Australia and hasn’t done anything out of the ordinary in the ongoing series so far. Even on Sunday, after a stunning 154-run stand from the openers, the middle-order was expected to continue in the same vein.

But Virat Kohli’s wicket pegged them back only for MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav to delay pulling the trigger in the death overs.

Rayudu misses out on a half-century

Ambati Rayudu scored a well crafted 47 to keep the scoreboard ticking. But many felt that he was unable to up the ante in the last 10 overs. During the partnership with MS Dhoni for the fourth wicket, Rayudu was guilty of playing too many dot deliveries. With Dhoni not being able to hit the boundaries from the word go, the Hyderabad batsman should’ve gone for the kill as India had wickets in hand.

Instead, the team could add only 35 off 44 balls and it could’ve almost hurt India if not for Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav’s blitz in the last three overs which propelled India to 324 runs. Rayudu was dismissed trying to accelerate the run-scoring in the 46th over on 47 off 49 balls.

it was a decent knock for the records but the fans weren’t pleased a bit as they felt that the Hyderabad batsman could’ve played a bit faster to take India’s total beyond 350.

Here’s how Twitter reacted:

Kedar Jadhav undid some of the hard work done by Ambati Rayudu before him to restrict the Indian innings.

— Saurabh Malhotra (@MalhotraSaurabh) January 26, 2019

Dhoni and Rayudu are doing a good job so far of taking this to the 50th over.

— Vinayakk (@vinayakkm) January 26, 2019

Rayudu bends the knees. #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/zaSPyHouIZ

— shreshth (@magniificient) January 26, 2019

Five consecutive dot balls by Rayudu in the 41st over.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) January 26, 2019

More and more proof that Rayudu is not doing it at 4, if you want him at 4, Dhoni can't play at 5. @imVkohli – Take a call before it is too late

— Nikhil 🏏 (@CricCrazyNIKS) January 26, 2019

15 from 20 balls by Rayudu in last 10 overs

— Gappistan Radio (@GappistanRadio) January 26, 2019

Rayudu coming in after Rohit Sharma is similar to watching Ekta Kapoor's serials after finishing Breaking Bad….#INDvNZ

— Akki (@CrickPotato1) January 26, 2019

Rayudu's problem is that he thinks playing with an 80 strike rate after this sort of start is okay, while it's actually criminal.

— Abhishek (@Sajjanlaunda) January 26, 2019

Rayudu is not connecting, it seems he is using Airtel's network.#INDvNZ

— Sunil- The cricketer (@1sInto2s) January 26, 2019

21 runs off the final over for India to finish on 324/4. More evidence that Rayudu doesn't fit the bill for No. 4. Jadhav is a much better choice with Karthik slotting in after MSD perhaps. #NZvIND

— Manya (@CSKian716) January 26, 2019

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