A match that lasted 28 hours and 24 minutes. A match that had it all in it. A match that was defined by skill, fitness, luck, talent and most importantly - mind- for me the most important factor that played the role for New Zealand to win this semi final. And all credit goes to the kiwi captain Kane Williamson.
As the match started yesterday, the surface looked quite good for a 280-300 score as the captains and the commentators thought but it wasn't to be like that. It was misread by most of them as it was hard to score. The ball was turning sharply and that's where the Indian spinners came into play. Not to forget that the fast bowlers also did an excellent job for India.
It was a grind for all the Kiwi batsmen out there. Nobody except Colin de Grandhomme and Mitchell Santner had a strike rate of over 100, though they only lasted 10 and 6 deliveries only respectively. Other than the couple, everyone found it hard to score and while batting Kane Williamson was satisfied with a 230-240 score on the board that would give them a chance on a surface that wasn't easy to score on.
Thinking from the India's point of view, this score wasn't unachievable by any means, on any day, on any surface. This was a target that wasn't something to scare their mighty batting line up that possessed the best batsman in the world - Virat Kohli, the best opener in the world, on back of back to back centuries - Rohit Sharma and the best finisher of ODI cricket of all time - MS Dhoni. And these big three supported by batsmen like Dinesh Kartik, Hardik Pandya, Kl Rahul and Rishabh Pant. They are by no means average cricketers, they are more than that. A team boasted with 7 proper batsmen and then two all rounders, one who thinks of himself as a batsman - Ravi Jadega and another one quite capable of playing good innings - Bhuvaneshwar Kumar. One can argue that there were only two players who couldn't bat and they were the no. 10 and 11.
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To be honest it should have been a piece of cake. When New Zealand walked out to defend this total I was thinking to myself, "Now is the time where all matters and now is the time I see whether Kane Williamson has it in him or not". I thought that if there were proper plans for Indian batsmen, it would be hard no matter how intriguing their batting line is. I thought that this game will be won by mind and Kane Williamson will be tested like never before. And that's how it panned out. A masterclass from Kane Williamson, for me a mind boggling performance! He went at India right from the start. With conditions helping the ball to move here and there he was able to get from his bowlers the skills and all that they had learnt. Bowl in right areas and get the ball talking. He was attacking right from the start and the dismissal of Rohit in the second over started that downfall of mighty Indian batting line.
With Rohit back in the hut, Kane operated to Kohli with three fielders on the leg side inside the circle and had Boult bowling straight to him. Boult got a couple in and couple out from him and then another one that jagged back in as Kohli went for an expansive flick, only to miss. The ball hit his pad and he was right in front. Finger went up and Kohli was a goner.
India were reeling on 24-4 and then they had a good partnership. Hardik and Rishabh played cautiously but Rishabh fell after a brain fade to Santner on 32, leaving India at 71-5. Hardik followed soon, dismissed by Santner on 32 again. Then came the time that brought India back into the game - A partnership of 116 between MS Dhoni and Ravi Jadeja. When Jadeja earlier ran out Ross Taylor with a direct hit and took a superb catch, it looked like it was his day. And then again he came to prove that with the bat, smashing 77 of just 59 balls in that partnership. It looked like these two will take the team home.
Kane Williamson didn't want to let them score easily as he bowled Boult in crunch situation and at a time when there was a need of a wicket and most importantly Jadeja's. He was doing the most of scoring and it was his wicket that counted more. And that is when Boult delivered and the brakes were applied somewhat on a running chase by India. And then, as they say legend Guptull ran out legend Dhoni to put the last nail in the coffin and that was when India lost it. Neesham took the last wicket and handed the Kiwis an 18 run win over India in a spectacular semi final. What a win it was and what a match! A semi final that was played like a semi final!
