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New Zealand staged a remarkable fightback to beat India by four wickets in the sixth match of the TVS limited-overs tri-series in Cuttack on Thursday.
Set a challenging target of 247 in 50 overs, the Kiwis, aided by fine knocks from Scott Styris (68 off 89 balls) and Craig McMillan (82 off 92 balls) won with 15 balls to spare.
India's decision to bat first backfired in the day-night encounter as the heavy dew in the outfield made the ball wet and difficult to grip. The Kiwis thrived under the circumstances to cruise home and stay in contention for a berth in the final against Australia.
India innings
The Indians went into the must-win day-night game without Virender Sehwag (out through an ankle injury), wicket-keeper Parthiv Patel and leg-spinner Anil Kumble, choosing to rely on Hemang Badani, leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule and left-arm orthodox spinner Murali Karthik.
Acting captain Rahul Dravid decided to take over the wicket-keeping duties as he did during the World Cup. There was a change in the thinking as well. In the World Cup, India went into the matches with seven batsmen. Instead, the home team chose to play five regular bowlers (two fast and three spinners) and six batsmen for this important fixture.
Fleming called incorrectly at the toss. On a darkish pitch that looked a batting beauty and is expected to take turn later in the match, Dravid opted to bat first without any hesitation.
With Sehwag not playing the match, V V S Laxman was pushed up the order to open the innings with Sachin Tendulkar. The start was steady enough and things started to move in the second over of the innings. Just a gentle push from Tendulkar off Kyle Mills sped away to the boundary. Great timing by the little master, but also a clear indication of a very fast outfield.
In the fourth over of the innings, Laxman started to get into the act too. Two fours in the over and the run-rate was pushed up. But disaster struck when Tendulkar, with 14 off as many deliveries, was dismissed in two overs later. He completely missed a Kyle Mills delivery and was trapped leg before wicket. The ball hit him below the knee-roll but appeared to be sliding down the leg-side. It was a close call, but umpire Jaypraskash decided that Tendulkar was out. (27/1)
Considering the fact that Mohammad Kaif has not been in very good form it was a surprise to see him come in at number three. The initial overs were a struggle for him; he could not pierce the gaps and his timing was awry. But Laxman looked in good touch and the runs kept coming at an even pace. The Indians were 50 for the loss of one wicket in the 10th over.
The Kiwi bowlers stuck to their task gamely though Mills was very expensive. The medium pacer, who was included in the side for the injured Chris Cairns, conceded 33 off his first five overs. Daryl Tuffey, at the other end, maintained a good line and length and his six overs cost only 16 runs.
Things proceeded at a slow pace for the next five overs as the Kiwis slowly but steadily started to tighten the noose. In the 15th over, India were 65/1.
Among the Kiwi bowlers, Daryl Tuffey, Daniel Vettori and Scott Styris were impressive, In fact, Styris stood out. The medium-slow bowler scrupulously mixed his slower deliveries with his seamers and the Indians struggled to get runs off him.
The run-rate slowed down, and in a bid to hit out Laxman perished. The right-hander hit one straight back to Stryis, who claimed a good caught and bowled chance. Trying to drive on the up, Laxman failed to keep the ball down and Styris took a good catch low to his right.
Dravid came in at the fall of the wicket and worked the ball around, taking quick singles but failing to force the pace in general. Kaif, too, started to work the ball around and the runs kept coming. Nothing to alarm the Kiwi's though.
The duo added 59 runs for the third wicket before Dravid tried to hit Vettori over mid-wicket but only succeeded in finding Styris, who made no mistake. The Indian captain scored 31 off 41 deliveries with two boundaries.
Waiting in the dressing is never easy and, maybe, that got to Yuvraj Singh. Too often have we seen batsmen come out and try to play their shots from ball one. And in equal measure, we have seen those batsmen dismissed.
After facing only two deliveries, Yuvraj decided to launch the ball into orbit, in a bid to succeed where others failed, but he hit it straight down Mills's throat at long-on. Vettori struck his second blow of the match and India were reduced to 136-4.
Kaif and Badani, playing his first match of the series, then put on a quick partnership of 33 in the next six overs. Badani's innings was a scratchy one but the runs came at a good pace and provided a much-needed impetus to the Indian innings. But the good time did not last.
Kaif tried to guide the ball to third man without moving his feet and only managed to get an inside edge straight onto the leg stump. Styris stuck again for the Kiwis.
Thereafter, the quest for quick runs saw the Indians go for big hits. Badani was very lucky to survive a dropped chance of Tuffey when on 34 off 33 balls. Fleming was the culprit. But Badani did not survive much longer as Tuffey claimed his wicket.
By this time, the lights were on in full glow. The Kiwi fielders struggled to sight the ball and that led to some funny moments on the field.
The Indian innings seemed to be heading nowhere until the last over, when Zaheer Khan slammed 20 runs (2,0,2,6,4,6) off Jacob Oram to enable India post a challenging total of 246 for the loss of 9 wickets.
New Zealand innings
New Zealand's chase got off to a flying start, with Fleming going great guns and Chris Nevin holding his end. The duo put on 35 runs in the first five overs. Zaheer, who conceded 25 runs in his first three overs, felt the brunt of the Kiwi onslaught.
His performance has been typical in this series. After starting off badly, he tends to come back later in the match. It makes one wonder whether it would be a good ploy to use him as a first change bowler in Australia since he struggles to control the movement achieved with the white ball.
Fleming smashed Ajit Agarkar straight back for four off the first ball of the sixth over. By this time, the Kiwi skipper was just planting his foot down the pitch and playing through the line. It proved to be the cause of his downfall as well. Agarkar got one to pitch in line with the stumps and stay low, trapping him (24 off 14 ball including 5 boundaries) right in front of the stumps and giving the Indians a much-needed respite.
Chris Harris was promoted as a pinch-hitter. He did not last long, thanks to a bad decision by umpire Neil Mallender. The left-hander got a thick inside-edge to a ball from Zaheer on to his pads and looked up in disbelief as Mallender raised the finger to send him back to the pavilion. Harris's poor run of scores in the series continued and suddenly there was a spring in the step of the Indians.
Lou Vincent has had a horrid series, and given his success in the Test series a lot more was expected from him. But umpire Mallender came to India's rescue again. Vincent tried to drive an incoming delivery from Zaheer, got a thin edge and saw the ball crash into his pads. But the umpire did not share that view and Vincent was on his way back to the pavilion.
Styris, who was in next, then calmed down things for the visitors and put on 24 for the fourth wicket with Nevin before the opener was dismissed by Harbhajan.
Nevin was dropped by wicket-keeper Dravid off Harbhajan in the 13th over but the off-spinner eventually got his man. Trying to sweep a delivery from outside the off-stump, Nevin hit it straight to Yuvraj Singh at midwicket. New Zealand were 68 for 4.
Styris and Craig McMillan then held the Kiwi innings together even as the asking rate started to climb. The duo, though, did not panic. They bided their time and slowly but surely started to dominate the Indian bowling. By now the ball was coming off the pitch slowly and the dew become a major factor. The bowlers found it extremely hard to grip the ball and get any purchase.
McMillan was in his element. He was not only content scoring runs, but did his fair share of bowling too. The dew caused the ball to slip out of left-arm spinner Murali Karthik's hand and ended up near mid-on. McMillan, the striker, ran to the ball and insisted on hitting it, asking the fielders to stand aside, as an amused Styris looked on. In the end, he wound up for a mighty whack only to miscue the ball, which traveled straight to Hemang Badani in the deep, before scrambling back to his crease while the umpire declared a dead ball behind his back.
The duo batted very sensibly and only Karthik, who bowled with admirable guise and control, was able to keep them in check.
India played with five bowlers but it did not seem that way. Sairaj Bahutule was a complete no show with the ball. His three overs cost 24. He was so unimpressive that Dravid preferred bowling the non-regular bowlers. The Kiwis made the most of the fifth bowler's slot. Tendulkar's three overs cost 25, Badani's 3.3 cost 21 and Yuvraj bowled just one over for seven runs.
McMillan and Styris put on 127 runs and it was their partnership that took the match away from the Indians. Batting with ease, the duo were unperturbed by anything the Indians threw at them as they guided the Kiwis within sight of victory before Karthik struck a blow for the Indians and trapped Styris leg before wicket.
Styris scored 68 off 89 balls with 6 fours and a huge six.
Oram was in next but he was not around for long. A brilliant piece of fielding by Mohammad Kaif in the covers saw the big man caught out of his crease. But wicket-keeper Brendon McCullum (19 off 16 balls) and McMillan played well to guide the team to a well-deserved victory.
Both New Zealand and India are on 9 points after four matches. With both teams having two matches in hand there's a lot of cricket is still to be played in this series.
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