India’s easy win over New Zealand made sure that there was not much to talk about the on-field tactics and the major news point became how Rohit Sharma had forgotten what he wanted to do upon winning the toss earlier in the day. Former cricketer and popular cricket pundit Sanjay Manjrekar ensured he too takes a cheeky dig at New Zealand even as he remembered how the forgetful skipper had become the talk of the town at the toss.
Speaking after India’s eight wicket win which came in in a little more than 100 minutes after India’s chase began, Manjrekar said such sort of performance wasn’t expected from World Cup finalists.
New Zealand had to bat first after losing the toss, and their top order was blown away within no time, getting bundled out for 107. Mohammed Shami went on to grab three wickets, with Hardik Pandya and Washington Sundar taking two each. Meanwhile, Mohammed Siraj, Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav bagged a dismissal each.
“New Zealand are World Cup finalists and for a team like that on an afternoon pitch that didn’t look like it was too notorious to have this kind of a performance, I think that is something which is very hard to understand. So I can understand India being quality. Once again the bigger story is New Zealand, collapsing at this score,” he told Star Sports after the match.
Moreover, he then mentioned how Rohit’s pause was longer than New Zealand’s innings as he took a cheeky dig at the visitors.
“In fact, I think Rohit Sharma’s pause at the toss was longer than the New Zealand innings."
Earlier, India’s relentless pace attack ran through a fragile New Zealand batting line-up as the hosts cantered to an eight-wicket win in the second ODI to seal the three-match series here on Saturday.
The Mohammed Shami-led attack produced an incisive effort to bowl out New Zealand for a meagre 108 before India knocked off the runs in 20.1 overs. Rohit Sharma hit a sublime 50 off 51 balls while Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 40 off 53 deliveries.
It was an emphatic win but the sea of fans that had flocked the remotely located Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium for Raipur’s first international game was left wanting for more due to the early finish.
Shami (3/18) and Mohammed Siraj (1/10) made life tough for the batters with their high-quality seam bowling reducing New Zealand to a dismal 15 for five after Rohit opted to bowl. The odd ball stopping made the New Zealand batters’ job tougher though the Indian openers made batting look easy in the evening.
The third and final ODI will be played in Indore on Tuesday.
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