T20 World Cup 2021, IND vs NZ (Super 12): Kiwis script 8-wicket win as India keeps searching for maiden win
By Ayush Gupta | First Published Oct 31, 2021, 10:39 PM ISTNew Zealand gave India no chance of winning, as it decimated the latter by eight wickets in Super 12 of the ICC T20 World Cup 2021. While it was NZ's maiden win of the tournament, India is still hunting for the same.
It was a pitiful performance by former champion India. It succumbed to an eight-wicket defeat to New Zealand in its Group 2's Super 12 clash of the 2021 ICC T20 World Cup at the Dubai International Stadium on Sunday. NZ has managed to earn its maiden win of the tournament with this win, while India has slumped further below. Without success so far, India's chances of making it to the semis have taken a severe hit.
Winning the toss, Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson opted to field, as he made a change by bringing in Adam Milne comes in for Tim Seifert. Meanwhile, Indian captain Virat Kohli made a couple of changes as well, bringing in Ishan Kishan for Suryakumar Yadav, who had a back spasm, while Shardul Thakur replaced Bhuvneshwar Kumar.
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Kishan (4) was promoted as the opener along with KL Rahul (18), while regular opener Rohit Sharma (14) came in at number three. India was off to a rattled start. It lost the openers within the sixth over of the powerplay, with 25 runs on the board. Five runs later, leg-spinner Ish Sodhi got rid of Rohit in the eighth, as even Adam Milne dropping him on zero did him no good.
Kohli (9) fell to Sodhi in the 11th, at 48, as the dismal show of the Indians with the bat continued. Although Rishabh Pant (12) and Hardik Pandya (23) tried to steer things, they failed and could contribute just 24, with pacer Milne cleaning up the former in the 15th, while another 24 runs later, at 94, pacer Trent Boult dismissed Pandya and Shardul Thakur (0) in the 19th.
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Ravindra Jadeja (26) produced some late fireworks, as India could manage a below-par total of 110/7. As for NZ, it put five bowlers into the attack, with Boult claiming three, while Sodhi was intensely economical. In reply, the Kiwis lost Martin Guptill (20) early in the fourth over of the PP to pacer Jasprit Bumrah, with 24 runs on the board.
However, fellow opener Daryl Mitchell (49) and Williamson (33*) did the damage, contributing to a 72-run stand for the third wicket, as India was instantly pushed onto the backfoot. The former fell to Bumrah in the 13th, while Williamson and Devon Conway (2*) got the job done, with NZ winning by eight wickets within the 15th over.
Should wrap the chase inside 15 overs, India's NRR will be around -1.500.
Afghanistan's NRR is +3.097 should a three-way tie at six points happen. & of course can qualify without NRR coming into the picture. India's chances hanging by a slim thread.
India utilised six bowlers, but only Bumrah was the one to make an impact and claim both the wickets, while he also turned out to be the most economical one from the side.
Brief scores: India 110/7 (Jadeja- 26*; Boult- 3/20) lost to New Zealand 111/2 in 14.3 overs (Mitchell- 49, Williamson- 33*; Bumrah- 2/19) by eight wickets.
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