India’s captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and decided to bowl first in the 21st match of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 against New Zealand at Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium, Dharamsala on Sunday, 22 October 2023. He said that he wanted to back his strength to chase and felt that there was a bit of dew coming in early. He also praised his team for keeping the momentum going and forgetting what had happened in the past.
New Zealand’s captain Tom Latham said that he would have also bowled first if he had won the toss, as he expected the pitch to be good for batting and the dew to play a factor later on. He said that his team had built up some momentum over the last couple of weeks and was trying to apply their game plan as best as they could.
New Zealand posts 273 for 10 in 50 overs
New Zealand had a shaky start as they lost opener Devon Conway for a duck in the third over, caught behind by KL Rahul off Jasprit Bumrah. Will Young joined Rachin Ravindra and the duo added 43 runs for the second wicket before Young was dismissed by Mohammed Siraj for 17. Ravindra then took charge and played a brilliant knock of 75 off 87 balls, hitting six fours and a six. He shared a 122-run partnership with Daryl Mitchell, who smashed 130 off 127 balls, his maiden ODI century. Mitchell hit nine fours and five sixes and took the New Zealand score past 200.
However, India fought back with some quick wickets in the death overs, as Siraj removed Ravindra and Tom Latham in successive deliveries in the 41st over. Mohammed Shami then ran through the lower order, picking up five wickets for 54 runs in his 10 overs. He dismissed Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mark Chapman, Matt Henry and Lockie Ferguson in quick succession, leaving New Zealand at 273 for 10 in 50 overs. Trent Boult was the last man out, run out by Shreyas Iyer without facing a ball.
India chases down the target with six wickets in hand
India’s chase got off to a flying start as Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put on 76 runs for the first wicket in 9.4 overs. Sharma was in sublime form, hitting four fours and four sixes in his 46 off 40 balls. He was eventually caught by Chapman off Boult in the 10th over. Gill followed him soon after, caught by Latham off Ferguson for 26. Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer then steadied the innings with a 50-run stand for the third wicket before Kohli was caught by Phillips off Ferguson for 26.
Iyer continued his good form and scored 33 off 29 balls, hitting six fours. He was joined by KL Rahul, who played a sensible knock of 12 off 17 balls. The pair added 37 runs for the fourth wicket before Iyer was caught by Mitchell off Santner in the 26th over. Suryakumar Yadav then came to the crease and finished the game with a flourish, hitting three fours and two sixes in his unbeaten 23 off 11 balls. He hit the winning runs in the 26th over, as India reached 145 for four with six wickets and 139 balls remaining.
Shami named player of the match for his five-wicket haul
Mohammed Shami was named the player of the match for his brilliant bowling performance that helped India restrict New Zealand to a modest total. He said that he was happy to contribute to the team’s victory and thanked his captain and teammates for their support. He also praised the batting unit for chasing down the target with ease.
Rohit Sharma said that he was very pleased with his team’s performance and credited Shami for setting up the win with his bowling. He also lauded Ravindra Jadeja and Kuldeep Yadav for bowling well in the middle overs and keeping the pressure on New Zealand. He said that he was happy with his own batting form and hoped to continue it in the upcoming matches.
Tom Latham said that he was disappointed with his team’s batting effort and felt that they were at least 30-40 runs short of a competitive total. He said that India bowled very well and did not allow them to score freely. He also admitted that India batted superbly and did not give them any chance to come back into the game. He said that his team needed to learn from this defeat and bounce back strongly in their next match.
