Published: Feb 03, 2019, 11:27 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 03, 2019, 11:27 AM (IST)
A whirlwind 22-ball 45, featuring three successive sixes off New Zealand legspinner Todd Astle, from Hardik Pandya helped India move from 203/7 in the 46th over to 252 in 49.5 overs in the fifth ODI at Wellington’s Westpac Stadium.
Pandya hit five sixes in his cameo, which came after Ambati Rayudu (90) and Kedar Jadhav (34) were dismissed in the span of 12 balls.
The penultimate over of India’s innings was filled with drama and potential controversy, with Pandya questioning the square-leg umpire’s decision not to call what appeared a very obvious wide, the New Zealanders rushing to show that Pandya had not grounded his bat and finally the allrounder standing his ground after he felt he had been dismissed by a full toss. (LIVE UPDATES: INDIA vs NEW ZEALAND, 5th ODI)
Stating his intentions, Pandya clouted three consecutive sixes off Astle and then pulled Trent Boult with ferocity for another. An eventful 49th over ensued, bowled by Jimmy Neesham. (FULL SCORECARD: INDIA vs NEW ZEALAND, 5th ODI)
The first ball was driven with ease through the covers for four, the second biffed over wide long-on for six. The third was a slower bouncer that looked high but was not called wide by the square leg umpire Wayne Knights, which prompted Pandya to walk over to ask why. The next ball was full and jammed wide of midwicket, with Pandya shouting two immediately. As he reached the nonstriker’s end, Pandya lost grip of his bat and after he ran back for the second without it, the New Zealanders appealed. Replays showed that he didn’t have control of his bat when he put his foot across the line as he turned, and after consultation the umpires deemed one short run.
Pandya was miffed, and replied by jamming a yorker on off stump past a diving short third man for four. (READ MORE: Rayudu, Pandya help India to 252)
The sixth ball was a low full toss which Pandya miscued when attempting a slog, and Trent Boult ran backwards and held a terrific catch from square leg. Pandya hung around in anticipation of replays showing a no-ball for height, but it was not to be.
