India vs New Zealand 2019: Ravi Shastri Praises India's Middle-Order, Says We Really Competed in the Game

Indian National Cricket team head coach Ravi Shastri has hailed his middle-order batsmen after they put up a great show in the Wellington ODI against New Zealand. The men in blues posted 252 runs on the board from 18 for four in the fifth and the final ODI.

However, they were under severe criticism in the fourth fixture at Hamilton. Missing regular skipper Virat Kohli and a poor outing from the openers, the middle-order crumbled against the Kiwi pacers – they were all out for 92 runs. Only two of the top seven batters managed to touch the two-digit figure which raised questions on their ability with ICC World Cup looming large. Moreover, Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik were out for ducks in a span of four deliveries – leaving the no four spot open once again.

But the middle-order have answered all the criticism in the Wellington ODI as they bounced back in style. On Sunday’s outing, India lost their top four batsmen within 18 runs with New Zealand’s new ball bowlers shedding fire on the wicket which assisted swing. But Ambati Rayudu stood tall partnering Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav to pay back the trust put in by the management.

He shared a 98-run partnership with Vijay Shankar (45) and then added 74 runs with Kedar Jadhav (34). Although Ambati Rayudu departed ten short of what would have been a brilliant hundred, Hardik Pandya made sure they post a challenging total on the scoreboard. He smacked 45 runs off just 22 balls as the men in blues registered 252 runs on the board.

Shastri impressed with the middle-order

Ravi Shastri conceded that India’s top three Virat Kohli, Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are likely to fail once in a while but insisted that the way the middle-order, especially Ambati Rayudu learnt from his mistake after the humiliation in Hamilton, was pleasing.

“This was the best game of the five matches. I thought we really competed well from 18/4 to win the game. Rayudu, in particular. He batted like a millionaire in the last game. He was told to apply himself as he did in the middle today. It’s very commendable,” Shastri said to Star Sports.

“You’re bound to lose a couple of wickets every now and then. You can’t expect them to keep getting you off to starts. There could be days like the last two where you lost the top-order pretty early. That’s the time you have got to show your maturity. You have got to stick around there, respect the conditions and bowlers like Trent Boult in that spell. See him through.

In addition to, Ravi Shastri also lauded Vijay Shankar, who has been in and out of the team. He has finally made a mark during his 45 runs knock – his highest score in ODIs. Shastri said that Shankar scoring runs is a perfect sign for us.

“That’s exactly what they did today. Then slowly the runs will start coming on the board. Vijay Shankar, in that partnership, showed great composure. He came across as a bloke with a very good temperament, which is very good for us,” Ravi Shastri concluded.