Boult's fifer hands NZ consolation win over India in 4th ODI
Hamilton, Jan 31: India seemed shorn of their aura in the absence of talismanic skipper Virat Kohli as New Zealand pulled off a stunning eight-wicket win in the fourth cricket one-dayer to halt the visiting side's domination here Thursday.
With run-machine Kohli rested after the side claimed an unbeatable 3-0 lead in the five-match series, India's much-vaunted batting was dismissed for its seventh lowest ODI total -- 92 in 30.5 overs hereafter Trent Boult (5/21) dished out a deadly opening spell.
It was also the lowest total posted by any side on this venue, the previous lowest of 122 also against India's name.
Boult wreaked havoc with the new ball and in Colin de Grandhomme's (3/26) company utilised the swinging conditions at the Seddon Park perfectly.
"Never expected this to happen. (But) games like this happen. We've got ourselves to blame for this," said India's stand-in captain Rohit Sharma.
In the absence of Kohli and an injured Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the Indian batting unit found the going tough against the Kiwi bowling attack.
India's lowest ODI total is 54 against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 2000. It was also India's second lowest total in ODIs against New Zealand, having somehow managed to surpass the 88 scored at Dambulla.
"I don't think we expected this much. But the guys bowled well. It was nice to bowl them out for 90 odd. It was just one of those days. It was an outstanding performance today," said New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson said.
Bowling his 10 overs at a stretch, Boult troubled the Indian batsmen with both ways movement to return with impressive figures of 5 for 21, while Grandhomme gave him perfect support from the other end after New Zealand won the toss and elected to bowl.
"Nice to see the ball moving around, made the most of it," said Boult, who was adjudged man of the match for his stupendous performance.
While chasing, even though New Zealand lost Martin Guptill (14) and skipper Kane Williamson (11) early to Bhuvneshwar Kumar (2/25), the hosts completed the formalities in 14.4 overs with eight wickets in hand.
Henry Nicholls (30 not out) and Ross Taylor (37 not out) then completed the easy task for the Kiwis without any further damage.
Earlier, the pitch didn't seem unplayable but the Indian batsmen failed to apply themselves against the swing bowling of Boult and Grandhomme.
Only four Indian batsman Shikhar Dhawan (13), Hardik Pandya (16), Kuldeep Yadav (15) and Yuzvendra Chahal (18 not out) posted double digit scores.
Dhawan's search for big runs continued and he was the first to depart, caught plumb in front of the wicket by Boult in the sixth over.
Rohit, who is leading India in the last two matches of the series in the absence of Kohli, didn't have a happy outing on his 200th ODI and was caught by Boult off his own bowling an over later.
Grandhomme then joined the party and dismissed both Ambati Rayudu and Dinesh Karthik for ducks in a span of four balls in the 11th over.
A lot was expected from debutant Shubman Gill (9) but pressure got the better of him as he got out like Rohit, caught by Boult off his own bowling.
Reeling at 33 for 5, India desperately needed the experience of Kohli or Dhoni to bail the team out but in the duo's absence, the onus was on Pandya and Kedar Jadhav to do the repair job.
But it was not to be as wickets kept tumbling with Boult ripping apart India's line-up, dismissing both Jadhav and Pandya in quick succession.
Struggling at 55 for 8, Chahal and Kuldeep shared 25 runs for the ninth wicket to take India close to the 100-run mark before being shot out in 30.5 overs.
The last match of the series is on Sunday in Wellington.
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Virat Kohli fined 20 per cent match fees, one demerit point for his altercation with Sam Konstas
Melbourne, Dec 26: India superstar Virat Kohli was on Thursday fined 20 per cent of his match fee and handed one demerit point by the ICC following his on-field altercation with Australia debutant Sam Konstas on the opening day of the fourth Test here.
The incident happened in the 10th over when Kohli and the 19-year-old Konstas bumped their shoulders and also exchanged a few words in the first session’s play at the Melbourne Cricket Ground here.
"Article 2.12 of the ICC Code of Conduct relates to: "inappropriate physical contact with a Player, Player Support Personnel, Umpire, Match Referee or any other person (including a spectator during an International Match"," the ICC said on its website.
"No formal hearing was needed as Kohli accepted the sanctions propsed by Match Referee Andy Pycroft. On-field umpires Joel Wilson and Michael Gough, third umpire Sharfuddoula Ibne Shahid and fourth umpire Shawn Craig levelled the charge," it added.
While moving across the pitch after the completion of the over, both the players bumped their shoulders and exchanged a few words before Australia opener Usman Khawaja and on-field umpires Gough and Wilson intervened.
Konstas later played down the incident after the end of the play, saying "Virat Kohli accidentally bumped into me, that's cricket and can happen with tension."
"Have a look where Virat walks. Virat's walked one whole pitch over to his right and instigated that confrontation. No doubt in my mind whatsoever."
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2024
- Ricky Ponting #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/zm4rjG4X9A
Kohli and Konstas come together and make contact đź‘€#AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/adb09clEqd
— 7Cricket (@7Cricket) December 26, 2024
