A Top of the Table clash, the enthralling landscape of Himachal, the cool precincts of contiguous hills and a fully packed, delightful Dharamshala Stadium. It was a setting which demanded great Cricket and of course an Indian victory and the Men in Blue just did not disappoint.
Measured Kiwis
Put in to bat, the very proficient New Zealand batters staged a remarkable recovery after losing two quick wickets. Devon Conway their mainstay departed for a duck and Will Young too did not last long. But the find of the Tournament for the Kiwis Rachin Ravindra ( he hails from Bangalore ) and the ever dependable Daryl Mitchell played superbly to blunt the Indian attack and were particularly severe on Kuldeep Yadav. They were both circumspect and fearless as they attacked and defended with great maturity. The signs were looking ominous, but then the resilient Indian bowlers stepped up a notch and pulled things back.
Classy Shami
Once the Kiwis lost Rachin Ravindra, they lost momentum too and the accurate Indian bowling did not let them off the hook. Bumrah and Siraj were miserly, but Mohd Shami, playing his first match of the World Cup, simply came into his own and displayed the class with which he is blessed with. He knocked off a few with his yorkers and inswingers, got a fifer and restricted the Kiwis to 273 runs, much below what they could have achieved. Even 273 might have been difficult, if India had not dropped a few sitters.
Terrific Daryl
A word for Daryl Mitchell. His century held the innings together and was an exhibition of his batting skills and unwavering temperament. He is a class act and alongwith Devon Conway and Kane Williamson is New Zealand’s batting mainstay.
Rohit-Gill the Foundation Makers
India came out to Bat and as usual Rohit Sharma and Shubhman Gill ensured a rollicking start. Rohit has been brilliant in this tournament and is playing with an amazing authority. Though Matt Henry bowled extremely well beating the Indian bat time and time again, the opening duo did not relent and kept attacking, playing some brilliant strokes and audacious drives. By the time Rohit and Shubhman fell, India had got a good start.
Virat : The Master of Chases
The Bowling became even better thereafter with Mitch Santner in particular being stingy, but again it was to be Virat Kohli’s night as he shepherd the Indian innings like an expert herdsman marshalling his flock through a tricky terrain. India kept losing wickets and when Surya Kumar Yadav departed post a terrible mix up with Kohli, some tension engulfed Dharamshala. However, the great Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja put up a brisk partnership and saw India home.
No. 49 Missed But Celebrations Erupt
Virat came close to his 49th ODI hundred, the stadium and the country watched with bated breath in anticipation of another milestone in Kohli’s journey. However, the great batter mistimed his shot and perished leaving the crowd crestfallen. But the mood lifted again as Jadeja hit the winning runs and a spectacular celebration ensued. It was a sight to behold.
India emerged victorious after some fight from the Kiwis though, and are right at the top of the table with one foot firmly entrenched inside the Semi Final door.
Lanka Win
In the interim, Sri Lanka recorded their first win of the World Cup, with their victory over a tough Netherlands in Lucknow. The Dutch, batting first lost 6 wickets for nothing but then a stirring partnership between Logan van Beek and Sybrand Engelbrecht got them to a respectable and fighting 262. The Lankans batted sensibly with Pathum Nissanka and the extremely impressive Sadeera Samarawickrama ensuring a victory for Lanka. It was hard fought though and the Dutch gave away nothing easy. However, the Lankans prevailed. Another show of the Dutch spirit by the men in orange but the Lankans eventually had the last laugh.
Bishen Singh Bedi bids Adieu
As Cricket’s greatest spectacle is being played out in India, Bishen Singh Bedi , India’s greatest left arm spinner, a great ambassador of Indian cricket, a man who spoke his mind, a cricketer who gave it all on the field, a person of uninhibited charisma, passed away, leaving behind a remarkable legacy and a large vacuum in Indian Cricket.
RIP Bishen Singh Bedi
Featured Image : A resurgent Mohd Shami