ICC World Twenty20,India lose to New Zealand by 47 runs in Nagpur
Jasprit Bumrah’s 1-15 came in vain for the hostsIndia were dismissed in 18.1 overs in Nagpur
World T20 hosts India wilted to a 47-run defeat against New Zealand in their Super 10s opener at a shell-shocked Nagpur.(World Twenty20 2016)
MS Dhoni’s men failed to deal with the Black Caps’ spin attack as they crumbled to 79 all out in pursuit of their opponents’ seemingly under-par 126-7, with MS Dhoni (30), Virat Kohli (23) and Ravichandran Ashwin (10) the only men to make double figures in India’s second lowest T20I total in history.(World Twenty20 2016)
Mitchell Santner (4-11), Ish Sodhi (3-18) and Nathan McCullum (2-15) shared nine wickets as Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson’s decision to omit premier seamers Trent Boult, Tim Southee and Mitchell McClenaghan proved shrewd.
New Zealand are next in action Australia on Friday while India must lick their wounds before a Saturday showdown with Pakistan, the side they beat to lift the inaugural World T20 title in 2007.
Martin Guptill (six) began a pulsating first over in Nagpur by clubbing Ashwin (1-32) for six, before he was trapped lbw second ball attempting a sweep, albeit unfortunately with the ball-tracking technology suggesting the spinner’s delivery was bouncing over the stumps.
Colin Munro (six) reverse-swept Ashwin’s fourth delivery into the stands but perished in the second over when he shanked to mid-off, while the Black Caps slipped to 35-3 in the seventh when Williamson (eight) was stumped by Dhoni off spinner Suresh Raina (1-15).
New Zealand - who have failed to reach the knockout stages of the World T20 since making the semi-finals in 2007 - were dealt a further blow when Ross Taylor (10) was run out by Raina as the bowler athletically flicked Corey Anderson’s stroke to his left back onto the stumps.
Anderson (34 from 42 balls), who was forced to curb his usual cavalier approach, had his middle stump uprooted by the impressive Jasprit Bumrah (1-15) when he aimed to hit out late on, although Santner (18) and Luke Ronchi (21no) gave the Kiwis’ bowlers something to defend.
New Zealand’s total proved to be plenty as India fell to 26-4 within five overs, McCullum - whose brother, Brendon, retired from international cricket ahead of the tournament - and Santner picking up two scalps apiece.
McCullum trapped Dhawan (one) lbw and caught Yuvraj Singh (four) off his own bowling, with those wickets sandwiching Santner having Rohit Sharma (five) stumped by a juggling Ronchi and forcing Raina (one) to lob tamely to midwicket.
Leg-spinner Sodhi claimed the prized wicket of Kohli when the batsman snicked him behind, before also dismissing Ravindra Jadeja with a sharp caught and bowled and bamboozling Ashwin as he had his bails whipped off by Ronchi.
Dhoni’s departure - the skipper lashing Santner to McCullum at long-on - all-but extinguished India’s hopes and seamer Adam Milne secured New Zealand a fifth straight T20I victory over their opponents by castling Ashish Nehra with the first ball of the 19th over.
New Zealand captain Kane Williamson: “It was a tough surface and whatever score we got was going to be tough to chase but the boys bowled outstandingly. It was tough to leave out Boult and Southee but the spinners paid off.”
India skipper MS Dhoni: “The batting let us down, there were a lot of soft dismissals and no real partnerships. New Zealand bowled well but we lacked a bit of adaptability on a low-scoring pitch.”
