Shortly after winning the draw, India’s captain Rohit Sharma forgot whether Think Tank chose between batting and bowling. However, his tempo quartet had no such problem when it came to his plans against New Zealand hitters.
Mohammed Shami & Co not only remembered the plan, but executed it perfectly as Chhattisgarh celebrated the homecoming of international cricket with a win in India on Saturday afternoon.
On damp turf that provided ample support, the Indian pacesetter rattled off the blackcaps on a power play. From 15 to 5, there was no turning back for Kiwi. Another small collapse, with Spinner the main wrecker, was driven out of New Zealand for just 108 in 35 overs. It took him just over 20 overs for India to pass on target, but the top scorer lost Rohit and Virat Kohli along the way.
The game was set up early by Pacemakers, but Shami was up front and starred in Double Strike. The veteran pacemaker fully showcased his expertise in bowling and pitching in seams.
Protégé Mohamed Siraj observed the Master’s work, and Shadur Thakur and Hardik Pandya also joined following the same pattern. However, Shammi was literally unplayable. He ended Finn Allen’s misery by sneaking through the defense and crashing into the stumps after the fifth ball of the game. With a run going poorly, Siraj were rewarded with a fuller ball in six overs when Henry Nichols arrived at Shubmann Gill at Slipcordon.
Four balls later, Daryl gave his Mitchell a touch back to Shammi and served his catch. Power In the final over of his play, Hardik Pandya hit a spectacular one-handed return, bent low on the follow-through and sacked Devon Conway. When skipper Tom Latham pushed hard on one of Shadur Thakur, he stepped away from him and tried to get Gil back into action, but the writing on the wall was clear. 5-15 was New Zealand’s lowest ODI total, with half the team being sacked.
Shammi then came back from the other end and saw dangerous Michael Bracewell with a short ball in his second burst before Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner for the second wicket. I bet 47. His four wickets in the final saw him fall by five runs and he ended the innings fifty overs ahead of schedule.
Rohit then had over 60,000 fans join his Quickfire Fifty to entertain the blue waters. His train shot was a sight to behold and ensured India crossed the finish line in time for fans to take the long trek home.