India v New Zealand, 3rd ODI: India Player Ratings

New Zealand finally had something to cheer for after winning a close game in the second ODI as they tasted their first victory of the tour. India on the other hand, could take plenty of positives despite the loss with the youngster Hardik Pandya fighting till the end along with the tail-enders. New Zealand continued the trend of losing the tosses as they called the wrong side of the coin for the 6th time in a row and was put into bat first. India retained the side from the previous two games whereas Kiwis dropped Anton Devcich to bring in James Neesham who justified his selection with a wonderful innings of 57 runs to resurrect the struggling innings. New Zealand was going strong in the first innings and at one stage was 153/3 in the 29th over and looked all set for a big score. But then a collapse hit them as they lost 5 wickets for 46 runs and were tottering at 199/8. Neesham then rose to the occasion and added 84 runs for the 9th wicket with Matt Henry who also played a useful cameo of 39 runs and the duo took their team to a commendable total of 285. India did not have a great start to the innings as both the openers were back in the hut inside 9 overs. But then the two best batsmen in the side Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni had a superlative partnership and put up an absolute master class. Kohli scored the second highest score of his ODI career as India won the match by seven wickets having 10 balls to spare. Here are the Indian player ratings from the match as India took a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series: Rohit Sharma – 3/10: Rohit Sharma. (Photo Source: BCCI) The form of the Indian opener in the series has been a worrying sign for India as he had failed in the first two ODIs. He had been guilty of throwing his wicket away to lazy shots after getting the feel of the pitch and this innings was not too different either. He started off well striking two boundaries in the first over but then got into a shell and played a lot of dot balls. Tim Southee accounted for his wicket in the 9th over as the right-hander departed for 13 runs off 21 balls. The mode of dismissal was similar to that in the first ODI as he was looking to play across the line of a straight delivery and got trapped in front of the wickets. Also read- India v New Zealand, 3rd ODI Review: Kohli, Dhoni ensure a smooth victory for India Ajinkya Rahane – 2/10: Ajinkya Rahane. (Photo Source: Twitter) Playing the role of an opener in the absence of Shikhar Dhawan, Rahane hasn’t had a pleasant time in the middle. He was looking to go after the bowlers right from the start and lost his wicket in just the 3rd over. The batting conditions at Mohali were excellent but Rahane failed to make use of the opportunity. In all the innings so far in the series, he has been trying to start on an aggressive note rather than spending time on the pitch. Here as well, he could only hit a boundary over mid-wicket and that too went off the inside edge. For a batsman who is technically so correct, needs to stay on the crease more and play his natural game. Virat Kohli – 9.5/10: Virat Kohli. (Photo Source: BCCI) The master of chasing and the superstar from India was again at work during the second innings. The right-hander was at his usual best yet again and compiled a magnificent hundred to take his tally to a total of 26 in ODIs. It was highly chanceless innings and one of the most perfect in his career. First, with Dhoni, he laid the foundation to get closer to the target and after the captain’s departure, took it upon himself to bring the side home. He finished unbeaten at 154 off 134 balls with 16 fours and a six and gave India an emphatic win. It was a sheer treat for every cricket lover watching the modern master dominate the opposition. Also read – Twitter Reactions: MS Dhoni completes 9000 runs in ODIs MS Dhoni – 9/10: MS Dhoni. (Photo Source: BCCI) The skipper promoted himself to number 4 during the chase and finally relieved himself from the duties of being a finisher. The move worked in his favor as he scored a brilliant 80 off just 91 balls. He was aggressive right from the beginning and constructed a spectacular partnership of 151 runs for the 3rd wicket with Kohli. The skipper paced his innings beautifully and hit 3 huge sixes and showed glimpses of the Dhoni from the past. It was the innings that India needed after losing two early wickets and he took the onus upon himself to stabilize the innings. He was looking all set for a century but the innings was cut short by Matt Henry, but not before a platform was set to chase down the total. Manish Pandey – 6/10: Manish Pandey. (Photo Source: BCCI) The job for the youngster was to support Virat Kohli from one end and he did it very well. His part was not too difficult after the efforts of Dhoni and Kohli, yet his innings of 28 runs off 34 balls was vital in the course of the match. He ensured no further damage for India and allowed Kohli to anchor the innings. Pandey remained not out till the end and hit 3 timely boundaries to keep Kohli out of pressure at the other end. He finished the game with a boundary off Matt Henry in the penultimate over and shared an unbeaten stand of 97 runs with Kohli. Kedar Jadhav – 7/10: Kedar Jadhav. (Photo Source: BCCI) The talented cricketer from Delhi has made the most of every opportunity he has got so far in the series. He has picked up crucial wickets with the ball and made useful contributions with the bat as well. In this game as well, he turned up with figures if 29/3 in 5 overs. He bagged the 3 vital wickets of Kane Williamson, Tom Latham, and Corey Anderson which led to a collapse in the batting. He has been Dhoni’s trusted 6th bowler as he has picked up 6 wickets in just the 10 overs he has bowled over a span of 3 games. Also check out – Watch: MS Dhoni’s lightning fast stumping to dismiss Luke Ronchi Hardik Pandya – 3/10: Hardik Pandya. (Photo Source: BCCI) After putting in wonderful performances in the first 2 games, Pandya did not have a very good outing in the third ODI. He was bantered in his first spell by Martin Guptill as the Kiwi smashed him for 2 monstrous sixes and a four. He went for 23 runs in his first 3 overs and was taken off from the attack. He was brought back for his second spell in the 25th over but could not make amends to his bowling figures. After bowling 2 overs, he was not called into ball during the death overs and finished with figures of 34/0 in 5 overs. Axar Patel – 6/10: India’s bowler Axar Patel appeals for the wicket of Zimbabwe’s batsman Hamilton Masakadza. (Photo by JEKESAI NJIKIZANA/AFP/Getty Images) Although the left-arm spinner did not pick up any wickets, yet he did the job of keeping the run-scoring in check pretty well. He was introduced just after Kane Williamson was dismissed and he did not allow easy runs for the opposition. He kept the pressure up on one side and bowled tight lines and all the batsmen could do was maneuver him for singles. He conceded the first boundary in his 5th over and finished with economical figures of 49/0 in 10 overs. Amit Mishra – 7/10: Amit Mishra celebrates a wicket. (Photo Source: BCCI) The leg-spinner had 6 wickets to his name prior to this game and continued the good form with the ball here as well. He first dismissed the dangerous looking Ross Taylor for 44 runs with a beautiful loopy delivery and got him stumped at the hands of Dhoni. He then sent Luke Ronchi back with executing the same mode of dismissal to send the Kiwis deeper into trouble. In the absence of Ashwin and Jadeja, he has been donning the role of the prime spinner in the team pretty well as he became the leading wicket-taker in the series so far with 8 scalps. Umesh Yadav – 6/10: Umesh Yadav. (Photo Source: BCCI) The pacer had provided wickets early for India on the previous two occasions and did the same in the third game too as he got Guptill out LBW in the 7th over. He then picked up Tim Southee’s wicket in the 38th over and all was going well for him until the death overs. He has been guilty in the past of giving away heaps of runs during the final stages of the innings and could not correct that even here. He went for 27 runs in his last 2 overs and his figures took a beating at 75/3 in 10 overs despite getting 3 wickets. His ratings would have been a lot higher if only he had contained during the slog overs. Jasprit Bumrah – 6.5/10: Indian cricketer Jasprit Bumrah. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP/Getty Images) The fast bowler had a decent outing in the game as he had figures of 52/2 in 9.4 overs. He was brought in as the first change bowler just like the previous games and he put the brakes on the run-scoring. He came back in the second spell to dismiss Mitchell Santner in the 35th over. During the slog overs, Neesham and Henry were sending the ball to all areas of the park and Bumrah was the only one who was able to contain them. He picked up the last wicket of the innings in the form of Trent Bolt in the final over.

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