India vs New Zealand 2019: Ambati Rayudu, Yuzvendra Chahal Takes India to Win

India vs New Zealand 2019: Report. India National Cricket Team won the fifth and final ODI against New Zealand to claim the series by 4-1. The visitors won by a margin of 35 runs after Ambati Rayudu and Yuzvendra Chahal came up with match-winning performances. Rayudu scored a fine knock of 90 runs whereas Chahal scalped three wickets to help India get to a convincing win.

India vs New Zealand 2019, India’s innings:

India posted a competitive score of 252 runs after their stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bat first. However, India’s top order was once again at sea against the moving ball. Matt Henry drew the first blood when he got Rohit Sharma’s wicket with a fine out-swinger. Rohit’s opening partner Shikhar Dhawan followed his opening partner soon when he tried to go for the uppercut. However, the southpaw batsman found the fielder at third man.

Shubman Gill played a flamboyant on-drive as he looked to set his foot at the topmost level. However, the prodigy 19-year old batsman once again made the mistake of hitting the ball in the air. Gill played a half-hearted shot which was nicely taken by Mitchell Santner. MS Dhoni who was making a comeback after two match gap got a beauty from New Zealand’s premier fast bowler Trent Boult.

Boult got the ball to move back in and Dhoni’s hands were late in getting down to the ball. Consequently, Boult was able to hit the top of off-stump to get the crucial wicket of Indian veteran batsman.

Rayudu and Vijay Shankar were able to steady the ship.

India was staring down the barrel of the gun as they lost four wickets for the score of 18 runs. Thus, another early collapse was on the cards. However, Vijay Shankar and Ambati Rayudu were able to bail their team out of trouble.

Vijay Shankar was able to hit the ground running as he timed the ball to perfection. In fact, he was the aggressor whereas Ambati Rayudu took a backseat in order to rebuild the Indian innings. However, Shankar who was looking good in his maiden ODI innings was unfortunate to get run out. Rayudu was ball watching at the non-striker’s end and Shankar was left hanging in the middle of the pitch.

Meanwhile, Ambati Rayudu continued to impress in the audition of the World Cup spot as he scored his 10th ODI fifty. The conditions were adverse and this knock must have added a shot in the arm to Rayudu.

Hardik Pandya provided the finishing touches.

However, Rayudu perished on 90 in an attempt to ante up the scoring rate in the fag end of the innings. Kedar Jadhav also scored a good knock of 34 runs and gave company to Rayudu. Meanwhile, Hardik Pandya who was batting after a long gap provided the finishing touches to the Indian innings.

As is the case on many occasions, Hardik Pandya’s eye lit up when he saw Todd Astle at the bowling crease. Pandya treated the Kiwis leg-spinner in the similar brutal fashion as he has treated the other spinners of the world. The right-hander completed another hat-trick of sixes as he continued with his love affair of hitting leg-spinners for maximums.

Pandya scored a quickfire knock of 45 runs off just 22 balls to add the finishing touches to the Indian innings. Thus, Pandya was instrumental in getting India to 252 runs.

India vs New Zealand 2019, New Zealand’s innings:

New Zealand didn’t get off to a good start as they lost their makeshift opener, Henry Nicholls, early. The southpaw batsman tried to go for the pull but didn’t got his timing right. Colin Munro threatened to play a dangerous role but he chopped the ball back on the stumps.

Ross Taylor was caught on the pads by Hardik Pandya. The ball was missing the stumps but the experienced Kiwi batsman decided not to go for the review. New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson and Tom Latham added 67 runs for the fourth wicket but the runs didn’t come thick and fast.

Subsequently, the ever-rising asking rate forced the Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson to go for the big shot against Kedar Jadhav. However, the stylish batsman could not clear the cow corner fielder as Shikhar Dhawan took a simple catch. Thus, Jadhav was able to take out the big fish.

Tom Latham tried to go for the sweep shot against Yuzvendra Chahal but could not get the contact and he was plumbed in front. Furthermore, Chahal was able to set up Colin de Grandhomme as he bowled leg-spinners on the trot before unveiling the wrong one to plumb the right-hander in front of the wickets.

At 135-6, New Zealand looked down and out. However, James Neesham was able to provide a ray of hope to the hosts with his blistering knock of 44 runs off just 32 balls. The southpaw innings was ended by MS Dhoni’s guile work behind the stumps as lbw shout distracted Neesham.

Mitchell Santner scored 22 runs but all hopes of New Zealand making it 3-2 was nipped in the bud by Hardik Pandya who accounted for the left-hander.