T20 Cricket: Rohit Again as India Win A Super-Over Thriller, Seal T20I Series Against New Zealand!

You hardly come across tied T20I matches any part in the cricketing world; but today the third Twenty20 International match between India and New Zealand in Hamilton became one, and incredibly so. Indian opener Rohit Sharma starred in the Indian innings after being put into bat with 65 off 40 balls in a team total of 179/5, and yet again in the super over overhauling the New Zealand challenge of 18 runs with two sixes in the final two balls. A terrific 95 off just 48 balls by Kiwi captain Kane Williamson was in vain as he fell to Shami with just 2 runs needed off 4 balls of the final over. New Zealand needing 9 runs to win, Shami started the 20^th over conceding a six to Taylor, then 1 run to Taylor that brings Williamson into strike, third ball gets him out caught in the gully, next ball dot to Seifert, fifth ball yields a bye, and the sixth ball bowls Taylor ending the match in a tie allowing a super-over finish. Mohammed Shami was justifiably the Game-changer of the match while Rohit bagged the Player of the Match honor.

On a somewhat slow pitch India began with an explosive partnership of 89 runs with Rohit racing to his half century in just 23 balls—the second fastest in T20 cricket. However, the Kiwi bowlers adjusted to the pitch superbly by bowling slower ones with spinner Sodhi doing extremely well giving away only 23 runs in 4 overs. India seemed to lose the plot of a 200+ target, and the changes in batting order didn’t help at all: when the stage was set perfectly for Virat Kohli after the fall of Rahul and with Rohit going great guns, in came not Kohli nor Shreyas nor even Pandey, but Shivam Dubey! Well, experiment and the IPL youngsters, no doubt! But for Jadeja and Pandey hitting some lusty blows in the final couple of overs the target could have been much easier than 179. Even then, the target of 180 was not a tall order and the Kiwis almost proved it. The pace bowlers of both teams toiled hard on the field—Southee for NZ and Jasprit Bumrah for India proving very expensive and wicketless.   

The match reminds one of the ICC Cricket World Cup-2019 Final when New Zealand failed to win in similar situations against England, and even a super-over could not yield a winner, leading to a result that still disturbs many. For India too, the name ‘New Zealand’ rankles thanks to the semi-final of the World Cup when India failed to cope with the Kiwi pacers the run-out of Dhoni being the turning point. That India have sealed the five-match T20I Series in New Zealand against New Zealand at 3-0 winning the first two matches in Auckland with relative ease would make a lot of Indian fans happy, not to mention the ecstasy of today’s incredibly exciting thriller going the Indian way at the very end.

Cricket: Rohit Ton As India Win ODI Series Against Australia!

It's always a great feeling beating Australia anywhere; greater if winning a series against them. India have achieved a series win beating the visitors in the third and final one-day international match by 7 wickets in Bangalore today. The match was India's the moment opener Rohit Sharma took full charge chasing 287 and blasted his way to a century (119, 8 fours, 6 sixes). Captain Virat Kohli gave him exciting company quickly getting to his half century and better. The versatile KL Rahul had to open again in place of injured Dhawan, and this time failed to make a defining contribution.

Earlier Australian captain Aaron Finch gave an indecipherable googly at the toss: he won it for the third time, and decided to have the first strike this time, to Kohli's surprise and glee. Maybe thanks to India's dominant batting in Rajkot after being put into bat Finch must have planned for a huge total to put pressure on India in the final encounter. But it was not to be as the Indian bowlers showed far greater discipline and control: Shami got Warner out early and the run-out of Finch set the visitors back; Shami went on to capture four wickets. Steven Smith took control hitting a brilliant ton and built a partnership with Labuschagne who made a half century. But after that Australia suffered a collapse and couldn't cross the 300 mark, managing 286 for the loss of 9 wickets in 50 overs. Jadeja bowled good again today capturing 2 scalps while Saini and Kuldeep got one each. It's a bit surprising that India's main strike pacer Bumrah failed to take a wicket; he was wicket less too in the Mumbai match and just managed to take one in Rajkot.

India's famed batting prowess was in a delightful display tonight with Rohit, Virat and Shreyas Iyer making mincemeat of Australia's famed bowling prowess. Virat made 89 in 91 balls and Iyer remained unbeaten on 44 off 35 balls. It was all over in 47.3 overs, India bagged one more ODI Series win.

India's home season ends here; they go to New Zealand next, and then quite a few T20I matches building up the momentum for the ICC T20 World Cup-2020 in October in Australia.

Cricket: India Beat Australia By 36 Runs, Level ODI Series! Shikhar, Virat, Rahul, Kuldeep Shine!

Shikhar Dhawan

Outplayed in the first ODI match in Mumbai, India started the second must-win match in Rajkot with two psychologically adverse factors: first, Kohli lost the toss again and obviously put into bat for the second time; second, India was yet to win an ODI in Rajkot, losing to England and South Africa earlier—batting first on both occasions. However, three of the Indian top four had played well, Rohit, looking great for a blast, could not complete his half century getting out for 42 off 44 ballas while Dhawan went on nicely, but missing a century—getting out for 96 in 90 balls, and captain Kohli was in full flow playing a useful knock of 78 for the team. This, at least, has ensured India putting up a big score—a 300+ target, however, Australia looked good to assail even a 400+ total in Mumbai. Today India came with two changes in the final eleven: Manish Pandey replacing Rishabh Pant who had a concussion injury, and Saini coming in for dropped Thakur. While Virat Kohli got back to this usual No.3 position India again inexplicably promoted Shreyas Iyer to No.4 in place of Rahul, and this ‘oddity’ misfired; Iyer getting out for only 7 in 17 balls. So, at a time when India looked to race to 200 runs in 30 overs, the hosts decided to lose a wicket making it 3 down.

Man-of-the-match KL Rahul

And they did achieve it, indeed, that is to say India did post 340/6 thanks largely to an explosive knock of 80 in 52 balls by ‘demoted’ Rahul. No doubt, it was a challenging total even for the might of Australia assuming Indian bowlers defended well in the field this time. When Virat and Rahul were going great guns a total in excess of 360 seemed possible, but Zampa’s three-wicket haul and Richardson’s 2 neutralized this. Manish Pandey, who was given precedence over veteran Kedar Jadhav, perished easily. The fact that pacers Cummins and Starc went wicket-less and spinners did better held some good hope for the Indian spinner duo Jadeja-Kuldeep in the Aussie reply.

Steven Smith

What followed was non-linear and uneven: the dreaded openers—Warner and Finch—got out relatively cheaply, but most able successor Steven Smith steadied the boat and set up a rollicking partnership with Labuschagne--an all-rounder who debuted in the Mumbai ODI, and brought Australia into strong contention. Jadeja for India struck at the right juncture breaking the partnership as Labuschagne got out caught. India sensed that the required run-rate for Australia was nearing 9, and so it was a matter of 1 or 2 more wickets to bring the game under their control, but except for Jadeja no bowler seemed to do the job for the team. Bumrah bowled tightly, but failed to strike. Again, the match was slowly slipping out of India’s hand.  
              

And then, the turning point in favor of India. Kuldeep Yadav gets Carey out caught by Kohli and in the 5^th ball of the same over hits the jackpot—bowls Smith for 98! With 5 wickets done at the score of 221 in the 38^thover the required run-rate now becomes dangerous, and ever climbing then onwards, sealing India’s case for winning this must-win game level the Series 1-1. The Indian bowlers find new spirit and make it increasingly difficult for the Aussies. Shami clean bowls Turner at 6 down for 259 in the 44^thover. And lo! Shami gets on a hat-trick track bowling Pat Cummins in the second ball of his over. At the end of 45 overs, Australia reach 268 for 6 wickets needing 73 runs in 30 balls. India now in clear sight of a much-needed victory. Then Navdeep Saini captured two scalps in the 47^th over, making it 9 down for the visitors. 

In the 49^th over Richardson had a few lusty hits off Shami allowing Australia cross the 300 mark. The end: Jasprit Bumrah finally takes the final wicket in the final over.  

And, India beat Australia by 36 runs leveling the ODI Series 1-1, ending the brief jinx at Rajkot. The last and the final cracker of a match between the two will be played in Bangalore on 19^th January, 2020.