By: Tarish Bhatt
It was as close as it could get. Eventually, it was New Zealand’s grit that helped them in leveling the series in Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla. The game, which initially looked like a one-way affair, turned out to be a nail-bitter.
The Blackcaps bowling was impressive, so does Kane Williamson’s captaincy. Williamson marshaled his resources superbly, and ensured his premier bowlers, Tim Southee and Trent Boult, finish the innings for him.
Read More: Kane Williamson Scores Ton for Blackcaps
New Zealand were defending just 242 on a batting wicket. The total never looked convincing at all, seeing the Kotla’s wicket. They, however, managed to bundle the hosts six runs short to level the five-match series 1-1.
“It’s a good sign to see the bowlers bowling well and putting the Indian batsmen under pressure,” Boult said. “I was trying to remain aggressive but give as little as possible in the 49th over.”
“A lot of moisture out there all together, the wicket was holding up a touch, smart bowling, it proved very effective.”
Read More: MS Dhoni Does Not Need Time to Settle Down
Captain MS Dhoni, Kedar Jadhav and at the end Hardik Pandya tried their best to keep India in the hunt. But, the hosts kept losing wickets against the run of play, and eventually failed to reach the winning mark.
Earlier, Indian bowled put up a spirited performance by restricting the Kiwis to an under-par total. Jasprit Bumrah was unplayable at the death and finished with three. Amit Mishra also broke crucial partnerships and took three.
The Blackcaps captain Kane Williamson scored his first ODI century, and eighth overall, on the Indian soil. He held the Kiwi innings together, and played a captain’s knock.
