India vs NZ 2nd T20 debate

NZ:
RJ Nicol, MJ Guptil, BB McCullum†, KS Williamson LRPL Taylor*, JDP Oram, DL Vettori, JEC Franklin, RM Hira, AF Milne, KD Mills

India:
G Gambhir, V Kohli, SK Raina, Yuvraj Singh, RG Sharma, MK Tiwary, MS Dhoni*†, IK Pathan, R Ashwin, Z Khan, L Balaji

India won the toss and put NZ in, NZ lost both openers cheaply, currently 28/2 after 5

McCullum on 56 off 38, and Williamson playing a good foil, 87/2 off 12.

Good to see Yuvraj and Vettori back

KW gone, Pathan back into the attack and a good catch from Ashwin to get him for 28. New Zealand 93-3 in the 13rd over.

Taylor the new man in, if he stays in for a few overs, that should spell trouble for India.

msp83 wrote:Taylor the new man in, if he stays in for a few overs, that should spell trouble for India.

That KW/Baz partnership has rather saved NZ's bacon after being 1/2 after 2 overs. And with Oram, Franklin, Vettori and Mills to come there's some hitting power (how the **** has Mills gotten back in the team )

McCullum dealing to Ashwin now, 15 runs off the 15th over, 115/3. The slog is on!

NZ are set for 170-180 unless India can peg them back. Once again it shows that T20 is more or less a lottery. Not a good form of cricket.

skyeman wrote:NZ are set for 170-180 unless India can peg them back. Once again it shows that T20 is more or less a lottery. Not a good form of cricket.

Careful Skyeman, you're talking about the only form of cricket NZ are any good at

Not to mention the only form England have won a world cup in

Taylor joins the party with a 6 off Pathan. Partnership of 47 off 24 already

No offence intended, but i hope your guys win the World Cup to show what T20 is all about.

I hope we win too

McCullum out for 91 off 55. Pathan finishes with 3-31 off his 4.

141/4, 3 overs to go.

Strange way to go for McCullum, 9 short of his hundred, of a very slow ball from Pathan that was outside leg, came of his glove after he played far too early at it and then it somehow hit the stumps!.

Franklin's out. Very strange that he was sent in ahead of Oram.

Franklin ct Yuvraj bowled Balaji.

Oram's not the batsman he was 5 years ago.

After a couple of decent overs, Yuvraj is at it again, takes a catch of Balaji to get Franklin, Balaji's first wicket in this format, its his T-20I debut by the way, 10 years after playing his first match for India.

Ashwin went for a few today? Bring back Harbhajan the answer? No thanks!.

msp83 wrote:Ashwin went for a few today? Bring back Harbhajan the answer? No thanks!.

T20's probably the only format I would consider Harbhajan for. And even then not for very long

156/5, Balaji to bowl the last over

167/5 in the finish. Useful total.

167-5 in 20 overs, a good effort from New Zealand, a challenging total, New Zealand would have hoped for a few more the way McCullum and Taylor were going, and India would be a touch relieved that NZ didn't go beyond 170. They would be a touch disappointed that they let things slip a bit after getting the first couple of wickets next to nothing. Remember India are going in without Virender Sehwag. Who would be opening with Gambhir? Kohli?

Kohli indeed it is. Despite his obvious tallent and great success in ODI cricket, he hasn't really performed consistently as yet. He scored his first 50 in the format in the Last T-20I, another good knock would add and build that consistency of his in the format.

Cricinfo thinks Kohli will open. This is only the 4th T20 between India and NZ (ignoring the abandoned game earlier this week), the score is currently 3-0 to NZ, so motivation for India.

Just as I was about to say more rude things about Kyle Mills (an ex-girlfriend of mine was his flatmate for a while, she didn't like him much) he grabs a good return catch off Gambhir. 36/1 after 4, Kohli looking good.

Kohli is going on fine, Raina have to give him solid company without doing something stupid as he was prone to during the test series.

47-1 in the 6 over powerplay.

74/1 after 9, milking the spinners. NZ need wickets. Kohli on 54 off 32

Raina gone, Mills with his 2nd wicket. India 86-2 in the 11th over.
Yuvraj Singh the new batsman.

Yuvraj off the mark.

msp83 wrote:Raina gone, Mills with his 2nd wicket. India 86-2 in the 11th over.
Yuvraj Singh the new batsman.

That means we'll be stuck with Mills in the playing XI for the world T20

Mills has the experience and he can play a few shotsas well. Oh, Mills involved in an onfield crash and he's down.

Mills and McCullum crashing into each other trying to catch of Yuvraj Singh. Not only has Yuvraj got away with it, Mills really got a real nasty lumb on his head as well.

McCullum isn't looking good either. Mills is off the field, but McCullum is still on the ground.

This form of cricket;

The ECB have a lot to answer for. Not the right way to save the game.

Well, Yuvraj is looking the part here, an effortless hit of Vetori that went for 6!.

Kohli's highest in T-20I, he's not out 70. 2nd successive game he has updated that particular stat.

Now its 70 out, Franklin gets Kohli!.

The Indian captain joins Yuvraj. These 2 have had a number of great match winning and match turning partnerships in ODIs in the past.

34 at 8.5 in 4 overs for India to win. Certainly advantage India, but a tight over and a wicket or 2 soon might just change things around.

This really is

I have no hope for the future of cricket.

skyeman wrote:This really is

I have no hope for the future of cricket.

There's always the "off" button mate

True, but to sell yourself to the devil is not the answer.

But money makes the world go round i guess.

Well this game isn't over, a fine over from Jacob Oram, just the 2 of it, so New Zealand have got in the one tight over, a wicket here could really make things interesting. Dhoni is really struggling to get things going. Just as I type he lofts Franklin for 4.

25 needed off the last 2 overs. I'm guessing Franklin and Oram will bowl them as Mills is off and Milne's been expensive on debut

The game's very much alive, 25 of 12, even with Dhoni and Yuvraj in there and more wickets in hand, is not going to be easy. 2 of the first ball to Dhoni of Oram.

13 of the last over.

msp83 wrote:The game's very much alive, 25 of 12, even with Dhoni and Yuvraj in there and more wickets in hand, is not going to be easy. 2 of the first ball to Dhoni of Oram.

13 needed off the last 6, Yuvraj cleared the boundary once last over. Slight advantage India

Boundary Dhoni, 8 off 4.

Franklin bowls Yuvraj with a slower ball that Yuvraj swings too early on, 6 off 2, new batsman on strike.

After playing a fine hand on his come back, Yuvraj Singh gone bowled by Franklin. The job's not quite finished, 6 of 2, Rohit Sharma, his reputation down, comes into a pressure situation. 2 of Rohit's first shot, he has to hit this one for 4 to win the match for India.

Well done to NZ.

2 only off the last ball, NZ wins by 1 run. Phew!