Dubai: New Zealand defeated India by eight wickets in a crucial Super 12 match of the ICC T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
Earlier India’s globally acclaimed batting line-up posted another disappointing performance to post 110 for seven against New Zealand in a crucial Super 12 match at the ICC T20 World Cup here on Sunday.
A bogus team for India in global events for years, New Zealand embarrassed Virat Kohli’s men, who showed no stomach for a fight after their captain lost a crucial toss.
It looked like a catching exercise for the New Zealand team as most of the batsmen got out trying to force the pace and failed miserably. There were 54 dot balls which meant that India did not score any runs in nine of their 20 overs.
There were no monsters on the track, but India’s poor performance with the willows is a result of poor team selection, not relying on players of form and the failure of the side to have any flexibility, which lacked proper multi-skilled cricketers.
Both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli lost form at the same time. The middle order, which was a matter of concern, remained the same and Hardik Pandya as a batsman completely flopped on the big day.
But the biggest thing about all this was how oblivious to the slow pace of the country whose players are considered to be champion players of spin bowling.
Just like in Pakistan’s game, spinners—left-arm orthodox Mitchell Santner (4-0-15-0) and leg-spinner Ish Sodhi (4-0-17-2) caught India by the screw of their neck. Only 32 runs away in eight overs.
India changed their batting order but it hardly paid any dividends as there was no firepower in the power play and 40 for 3 in the space of eight overs could only spell doom.
Ishan Kishan tried a whip off Trent Boult (4-0-20-3) but Santner was caught at deep square leg boundary.
KL Rahul (18) hit a couple of boundaries, but not for a moment while he was at the crease in 16 balls, did he look confident enough to pick up the bowlers.
Tim Southee (4-0-26-1), on the stroke of the power play, exposed his problems against the short ball as Santner collected a pull-shot, finishing second of the night.
Rohit Sharma (14) was first relieved from a mandatory pull-shot, which was dropped by Adam Milne at backward square leg.
Then, when Milne came into the attack, he slipped one over point for a four and hit the other over square leg for a six. When Ish Sodhi pitched a bit to one on short length, he tried to pull it in front of the square but was caught by Martin Guptill, who pegged it high enough to make 40 for three.
Sodhi bowled a conventional leg-break outside off-stump and the Indian skipper, trying to hit against the turn, found Boult over the long-on boundary.
Pandya (23 off 24 balls), in his current form, is not a threat to either team and Rishabh Pant, after being silenced by two Black Caps spinners, got a quick and direct one from Milne, breaking his defense.
Once Pant was gone, the chance of a good fighting total was also thrown out of the Dubai International Stadium and into the Arabian Sea.