Key events
5th over: India 31-0 (Rohit 21, Gill 5) After that early Rohit blitz, things have calmed down just a bit. Gill nearly breaks free against Jamieson with a cut to end the over but finds the man at cover.
4th over: India 30-0 (Rohit 20, Gill 5) Another leg-side wide arrives from O’Rourke before Rohit is treated by a doc. Rachin Ravindra cuts off a boundary after Gill swats away off his hip. There’s an lbw shout to close the over but O’Rourke’s angle is taking the ball away from leg stump.
3rd over: India 25-0 (Rohit 20, Gill 1) A quieter over as Rohit dominates the strike. His younger partner, Shubman Gill, has faced just a couple of deliveries.
2nd over: India 22-0 (Rohit 18, Gill 0) Jamieson from one end, another hulking quick from the other: Will O’Rourke steams in and delivers back-to-back leg-side wides before Rohit flicks away a full delivery for four. The same stroke brings him two more, with O’Rourke failing to find the right channel. When the quick does find the line outside off, Rohit drives through the covers for four. The veteran is racing away.
1st over: India 9-0 (Rohit 8, Gill 0) Trademark Rohit: Jamieson goes short with his second ball and India’s captain pulls him away for six. The next ball is clipped nicely for a couple, nine the damage from the over.
Time for the chase. Kyle Jamieson has the ball, Rohit Sharma the strike. Early wickets are required to make this a proper contest.
Shankar Mony writes in:
I am an Indian fan, but more a cricket fan. I am finding all these repeated statements of India’s advantage a bit tedious. I completely agree that playing in one ground and not having to travel is a massive advantage. But people have to understand that this arrangement was NOT because of the BCCI’s financial power, but because of the relationship between India and Pak politically. It was not too long ago that England cancelled a whiteball series due to security. Teams like NZ, who everyone loves, and SL, who are also beloved, have had explosions and shootings to cope with. However unsatisfactory it is that India is not in Pak, surely safety is more important. I agree with some other analysts who said India should hve played in Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai, or the other teams should have had bigger squads. The BCCI is a bully and the long term signs from cricket outside the Big 3 is gloomy. But this particular imbalance has a bit of nuance to it. Go Kiwis!
My frustration here is that the BCCI – correct me if I’m wrong – has not released a public statement/press release explaining the actual reasoning for not travelling to Pakistan. That in itself is a demonstration of power.
Rachin Ravindra tucked in during the powerplay, Michael Bracewell had fun at the death. But Daryl Mitchell had it tough, unable to lay into India’s spin quartet during the middle overs. Chakravarthy and Kuldeep, the two wrist spinners, shared four wickets while Axar and Jadeja, the two left-armers, went at under four an over. It’s not turned a great deal – they were just too accurate.
New Zealand set India target of 252
50th over: New Zealand 251-7 (Bracewell 53, Smith 0) Shami closes the innings, with Bracewell finding four off the first ball before Nathan Smith is greeted with a fierce, tailing yorker that floors the No 9. Bracewell ramps a ball way outside off to run two and reach a crucial half-century off just 39 balls. A cracking knock that helps New Zealand past 250. But with no Matt Henry to call upon, I’m not sure it’ll be enough against this Indian batting lineup.
WICKET! Santner run out Kohli/Rahul 8 (New Zealand 239-7)
Hardik Pandya returns, having not bowled since the 20th century. Bracewell gets a proper hold of him, heaving away over the leg side for six. Jadeja – everything everywhere all at once (in the field) – pulls off a diving stop in the deep to stop a boundary. Santner is run out off the final ball of the over, keeping Bracewell at the striker’s end for the last set.
49th over: New Zealand 239-7 (Bracewell 42, Smith 0)
48th over: New Zealand 227-6 (Bracewell 35, Santner 4) Excellent work from Ravindra Jadeja at third means New Zealand can’t run two, his flat, bullet throw not one to take a chance on. Santner and Bracewell can’t get under Shami’s full deliveries but Bracewell gets inventive, walking across his stumps to flick the ball to the fine-leg rope.
47th over: New Zealand 216-6 (Bracewell 27, Santner 2) Kuldeep concedes one off his first four balls before Bracewell tries to go inside-out over extra cover – the ball lands safely in the field to produce just a couple.
46th over: New Zealand 212-6 (Bracewell 24, Santner 1) The skipper is in, with two southpaws to give it a swing at the backend.
WICKET! Mitchell c Rohit b Shami 63 (New Zealand 211-6)
Daryl Mitchell finds the rope, pulling away Shami to deep midwicket. The quick is the target for New Zealand and he’s heaved away by Mitchell behind square on the leg side for another four. But then comes the wicket, a pace-off delivery hit to Rohit at cover. Mitchell fought hard against an onslaught of spin.
45th over: New Zealand 201-5 (Bracewell 24, Mitchell 53) Chakravarthy, hobbling from a blow to the foot a few overs go, delivers his final over and remains unhittable. His movement into the right-hander has caused so much grief today – he finishes with two for 45 off 10 overs, limping off the field after collecting his hat.
44th over: New Zealand 196-5 (Bracewell 21, Mitchell 51) Mohammed Shami is back, a sight that will be welcomed by New Zealand after the excellence of India’s spinners. But Mitchell, trying to stand tall and heave away, can’t find the middle. Bracewell is cut off on the leg side boundary so he decides to go over it – Shami is pulled away by the southpaw for a much-needed six.
43rd over: New Zealand 184-5 (Bracewell 11, Mitchell 50) A boundary after long last as Bracewell sweeps Kuldeep away for four – but it’s still only six off the over.
42nd over: New Zealand 178-5 (Bracewell 6, Mitchell 50) Ian Smith makes things clear on comms: someone has to go big now for New Zealand. Out comes the forward defence from Mitchell to Chakravarthy. The next ball is a walloped straight drive, but Chakravarthy’s foot gets in the way, causing the bowler a bit of bother. Mitchell reaches his half-century from 91 balls but there’s plenty of work still to do – he remains unable to cut loose.
41st over: New Zealand 175-5 (Bracewell 5, Mitchell 49) Bracewell and Mitchell get in each other’s way while trying to run a single; Jadeja’s throw misses the stumps at the non-striker’s end, with Bracewell a goner if it had hit. Mitchell continues to play deft sweeps, the big shot still waiting to come out. They take just three off Kuldeep.
40th over: New Zealand 172-5 (Bracewell 3, Mitchell 48) Ravindra Jadeja’s mechanical work comes to a close – blindfold him and he’d still land it on a spot. Mitchell and Bracewell work the ones and Jadeja finishes his 10 overs with figures of one for 30. Immaculate.
39th over: New Zealand 168-5 (Bracewell 1, Mitchell 46) Kuldeep beats the bat of Bracewell with a beaut and concedes just three.
38th over: New Zealand 165-5 (Bracewell 0, Mitchell 44) At what point does Mitchell go for it? Is he capable of going for it, having played conservatively for 80 deliveries while not looking at his best?
WICKET! Phillips b Chakravarthy 34 (New Zealand 165-5)
Phillips handles Chakravarthy nicely, carving away for a couple of twos. He’s not the man to go after … and then comes the wicket. Sorry, Glenn. The googly does for Phillips, the stumps knocked back. It was a wicked delivery from the unreadable bowler.
37th over: New Zealand 161-4 (Phillips 30, Mitchell 44) Axar gives the ball some air-time, and Mitchell gets down to sweep for one. Phillips nearly offers a grab by throwing his hands out for the drive. Five runs come off the over, this partnership now worth more than 50.
Nathan Green writes in: “Not exactly a great advertisement for the game. To be fair though, it’s not a rank turner. Just four very good bowlers being made to look unplayable.”
36th over: New Zealand 156-4 (Phillips 28, Mitchell 41) Another drop! The fourth of the innings by my count. Phillips pulls Jadeja over the leg side, Shubman Gill is there for the dive by the ropes at deep midwicket and … he can’t hold on.
35th over: New Zealand 153-4 (Phillips 26, Mitchell 40) Mitchell survives as Rohit drops a one-hander at midwicket inside the ring. Again, it was another stroke from Mitchell where he couldn’t find his usual power.
34th over: New Zealand 149-4 (Phillips 25, Mitchell 37) Mitchell just can’t seem to find the middle even when he sets up for the big leg-side shot. Jadeja bowls another very Jadeja over.
33rd over: New Zealand 147-4 (Phillips 24, Mitchell 36) Axar bowls another very Axar over.
32nd over: New Zealand 143-4 (Phillips 22, Mitchell 34) Phillips is trying his best to revive New Zealand here, pulling away Jadeja for four. The No 6 plays from quite deep in his crease, so he’s quick on to anything just a tad short.
31st over: New Zealand 138-4 (Phillips 18, Mitchell 33) Axar’s parsimonious work continues – he’s gone for just 16 off his five overs.
30th over: New Zealand 135-4 (Phillips 17, Mitchell 32) Mitchell is showing signs of trying to up the ante, wanting to swat away anything dragged down, but he still only has one boundary from 59 deliveries.
29th over: New Zealand 131-4 (Phillips 16, Mitchell 29) Phillips is beginning to add some aggression to New Zealand’s innings, punching Kuldeep off the back foot through the covers for four.
28th over: New Zealand 126-4 (Phillips 12, Mitchell 28) Ravindra, my guy, please slow down – I can’t type this quickly. Just three off another rapid over from the left-armer.
27th over: New Zealand 123-4 (Phillips 10, Mitchell 27) Finally, an almighty thump! Phillips sees Kuldeep flight one up and sends it down the ground for a straight six. The comeback begins …
26th over: New Zealand 116-4 (Mitchell 26, Phillips 4) Jadeja and Axar should time their overs and have a little competition. The former races through his to concede a couple. Phillips isn’t going to try and whack it from the off, recognising that there’s still plenty of time here.
25th over: New Zealand 114-4 (Phillips 3, Mitchell 25) We’re halfway through the innings; even 250 would be a top achievement from here.
24th over: New Zealand 110-4 (Phillips 1, Mitchell 23) Glenn Phillips is in, a little too early for New Zealand’s liking.
WICKET! Latham lbw Jadeja 14 (New Zealand 108-4)
Jadeja gets Latham this time round. He threatened it minutes ago and this time the lbw is plumb, with Latham failing to make contact with a sweep. New Zealand opt for a review, a call that’s more to do with the match situation rather than the actual delivery. It’s three reds; India are in complete control.
23rd over: New Zealand 107-3 (Latham 14, Mitchell 21) Chakravarthy catches Mitchell off balance with a hooping inswinger, and even when the tweaker gets the length wrong the movement can save him – Mitchell can’t cause any damage from a full toss.
