New Zealand v India, Third ODI

The 3rd ODI of the 5 match series will take place on Saturday the 25th of Jan 2014 at Eden Park.
New Zealand, leading 2-0, would want to rap the series up here. There is a chance they would opt for the relative quicker Hamish Benet over veteran Kyle Mills because of the track being a bit quicker.
As for India, this is a must win game. The batting, other than the captain and his deputy, hasn't really fired. Rohit Sharma has been struggling, Shikhar Dhawan too hasn't got going. Ajinkya Rahane and Suresh Raina couldn't build on starts and Ravindra Jadeja also hasn't been producing the goods with the bat. Perennial struggler Ishant Sharma has been his usual self, and R Ashwin's lack of form has prompted quite justified questions on his place in the side.
Suresh Raina got hit on his elbow, and Varun Aaron had a long spell in the nets, reports cricinfo. If Raina doesn't pull up well by tomorrow morning, Stuart Binny or Ambati Rayudu could get a game. And will MSD ditch Ishant for the quicker Aaron?

Picked this up from the cricinfo match preview.
R Ashwin and Ishant Sharma are behind only Ajit Agarkar and England's 'EconoMaster' Tim Bresnan in conceding most runs after 72 ODIs!.

The problem is not this game....under pressure Dhoni will bring in Aaron...in place if Ishant.

The problems is Dhoni's irrational love and longing for Ishant...means that at the first even half failure aaron will be dropped / instead of being given a run of 5 to 7 ODIs)....and Ishant brouhgt back pretending as if there is nothing wrong with him....and forgetting completely his history.

Ishant was dropped against Aus...and then brouhgt back within two games...and look how we are paying the price for that.

and people will remind his one average game vs. SA....and use that as en excuse to pick him through next 20 failures.

the problem with agenda based selections is in adverse overseas conditons where all the 11 are required to pull their weight...the team is caught out when there are about 3 "agenda candidates"

The only good thing about Ishant is that he stays relatively injury free. Otherwise he just isn't good enough. Started out with great potential, has the right physique for a quick bowler, but that' about. He hasn't figured out his length even after 8 years of international cricket and has lost his pace as well.
He's only 25, perhaps he can emerge out of this situation with credit. But what is certain is that that can't happen at international level. He has to go back to domestic cricket and work hard at his game, playing a season of county cricket should also help. But it is high time that his international engagement is cut short for now.

msp83 wrote:The only good thing about Ishant is that he stays relatively injury free. Otherwise he just isn't good enough. Started out with great potential, has the right physique for a quick bowler, but that' about. He hasn't figured out his length even after 8 years of international cricket and has lost his pace as well.
He's only 25, perhaps he can emerge out of this situation with credit. But what is certain is that that can't happen at international level. He has to go back to domestic cricket and work hard at his game, playing a season of county cricket should also help. But it is high time that his international engagement is cut short for now.

yes I agree he has potential to work his way back and age on his side.
But he needs a season or two...and not dropped for one game to go back and beat the dayligh out of poor Tripura guys and return back to national side

KP_fan wrote:

msp83 wrote:The only good thing about Ishant is that he stays relatively injury free. Otherwise he just isn't good enough. Started out with great potential, has the right physique for a quick bowler, but that' about. He hasn't figured out his length even after 8 years of international cricket and has lost his pace as well.
He's only 25, perhaps he can emerge out of this situation with credit. But what is certain is that that can't happen at international level. He has to go back to domestic cricket and work hard at his game, playing a season of county cricket should also help. But it is high time that his international engagement is cut short for now.

yes I agree he has potential to work his way back and age on his side.
But he needs a season or two...and not dropped for one game to go back and beat the dayligh out of poor Tripura guys and return back to national side

Yeah, at least a season or 2.......

New Zealand:
MJ Guptill, JD Ryder, KS Williamson, LRPL Taylor, BB McCullum*, CJ Anderson, L Ronchi†, NL McCullum, HK Bennett, TG Southee, MJ McClenaghan

Hamish Bennett is in for Kyle Mills.

India:
S Dhawan, RG Sharma, V Kohli, SK Raina, AM Rahane, MS Dhoni*†, RA Jadeja, R Ashwin, B Kumar, VR Aaron, Mohammed Shami

MS Dhoni won the toss and has sent NZ into bat.
Ishant Sharma has been dropped, replaced by Varun Aaron.

NZ off to a flyer... 23/0 after 3 overs.

Morning LB, just woke up and happy to see the minnow in such a strong posirion.

G'day Biltong. Just having a peep at the rugby 7s.

Great knocks from Guptill and Williamson.

Should have been more than 315 target, but at least they got therecafter the suicide runouts between ivers 42 and 46

Rohit and Dhwan off to a cracking start

New Zealand posted another big score of 314. But it could have been a lot better than that and it could have been worse as well.
At one stage NZ were 189-1 at close to 6 an over. Then they lost Kane Williamson, they promoted Corey Anderson but the move didn't come off as he was out for only 8, then Guptill was out to a fine catch from Rahane, Ross Taylor got run-out and Brendon McCullum went for a duck. At one stage NZ were 288-9. Then Tim Southee hit one to fine leg where Bhuvneshwar Kumar let it go through his hands for 6, and then Southee managed a couple more big hits as as NZ ended with a very good total.

Both openers being positive. Nohit thankfully hasn't wasted too many balls upfront.

Rohit is clearing the ropes for SIXES effortlessly today

India 64 without loss after 9 overs.

Dhawan gone to an excellent catch from Martin Guptill as Anderson strikes for NZ.

Maiden overs, wickets, its all happening and New Zealand are back in control.

there is bounce in the pitch and simply hitting throuhg the line isn't easy.
314 is a tall order.
Kohli was due for a failure....Rahane has to bat from one end and the 3 CSK batters have to pull India thouhg.........very unlikely to win from here

At 78-3 after 17, India are struggling real bad. Last 8 overs, they scored 14 for 3. Benet is proving a real handful. Good change from New Zealand it has to be said.

Now its 78-4 as Rahane goes strangled down the leg side of Anderson.

Don't see India getting close this time. Massive defeat on the cards.......

Dhoni will have to play one of his miracle innings - as long as he is there anything's possible.
Not much resistance after him. NZ well on top at the moment.

India 91/4 after 19 overs.

Southee gets Raina to end a decent partnership. Looks like that's it for India. They are 146-5.

Ravichandran Ashwin ahead of Jadeja. Hmmmm, interesting!.

on his good days Raina gets 30 odd....whihc is not good enouhg...if he scores every 4th game he has to convert to big 70s and 80s

Raina's skill is only about playing big shots. He's not one to come in at 80-3. He has had lots of time to develop his game, it hasn't happened, India should change things around before it is too late.

Any idea as to why the cricinfo text commentary is behind by more than 3 overs? Is it the BCCI again?

msp83 wrote:Raina's skill is only about playing big shots. He's not one to come in at 80-3. He has had lots of time to develop his game, it hasn't happened, India should change things around before it is too late.

yeah....raina is a No.7 finisher......can get these 20s and 30s at even 10RPO

Dhoni should remember that he's running with Ashwin, who is one of the poorest runners between the wickets in this Indian side. Nearly a mix-up there.

dhoni is leaving too much for too late

Dhoni gone. Absolute screamer of a catch from Tim Southee.

msp83 wrote:Any idea as to why the cricinfo text commentary is behind by more than 3 overs? Is it the BCCI again?

I've no idea. They also had Dhoni "caught & bowled Anderson".

A mighty fine 65 from R Ashwin, but he's out to a spectacular catch from Guptill as New Zealand rest the advantage back.

Nail biting finish coming up.

India require 45 runs off 30 balls.

There were 3 absolutely fabulous catches taken in the Indian innings, 2 by Guptill to get Dhawan and Ashwin, and 1 by Southee to get the Indian captain. Catches indeed win matches!.

Linebreaker wrote:Nail biting finish coming up.

India require 45 runs off 30 balls.

Not enough wickets though, LB.

India 275/8 now. Kumar departs for 4.
40 runs still needed off 26 balls.

And now Bhuvneshwar Kumar goes. He hasn't atoned for that Southee miss in the end stages of the NZ innings.

Woah just caught uo with this one...seems like a corker roller coaster. Probably too much to ask for the last 2 wickets to see this home but good fight back from India

That missed opportunity is going to be the difference. NZ were 288-9 when Kumar let Southee off.

msp83 wrote:

Linebreaker wrote:Nail biting finish coming up.

India require 45 runs off 30 balls.

Not enough wickets though, LB.

I know. Ashwin batted well. He had to be there for India to sneak home you'd think.

Think they should have send Aaron in. He's a better slogger than Shami is.

Thought I heard an edge.
Aussie Tucker doing India a favour there!   

Jadeja getting very lucky with that edge. Shami not quite sensible there, he has to knock it around for a single if he's on strike in the early part of the over .

29 of 14 and Shami on strike. Time for a proper slog Shami!.

He does slog but finds Kane Williamson. Has to be it.......

That is a 5for for Corey Anderson. He can do no wrong these days. If he doesn't get you with the bat, he'll get you with the ball!.

Bennett drops one! Oh dear...

Jadeja is keeping India in it and he has just been dropped 1 ball after smashing one out of the park.

18 of the last over, that's a lot of runs.