If Australia A recovered from their first match hiccup to register a facile win against India A yesterday, New Zealand fared no better than India A did yesterday morning.
India nearly made a hash of the chase and at one point, looked set to hand it back generously to New Zealand A. But for the steady head of the skipper Subramaniam Badrinath, that could well have happened.
New Zealand A did not have much going for them, putting up 167 even though the recovery after they were reduced to eight for three was still remarkable in the context of the game. But like one commentator suggested, “Broom was dismissed and gloom set in.” New Zealand A seriously did not stand if the India A top order could fire.
Mark Gillespie certainly did not allow to the butterflies in the India A dressing room to struggle. Yet again the line to the pavilion was more disparaging to see two days in a row. Swapnil Asnodkar, Robin Uthapa, Rohit Sharma, and Suresh Raina fell to practically all soft dismissals and perhaps coach Dav Whatmore needs to sit them down and ask them to rethink their shot selection. After all, they are all men vying to establish themselves on the international stage. They will surely need to use greater judgement and if the coach has to do it, then perhaps they are not ready to make the transition to the next level with permanency.
In the context of the India A chase where the target was not of undue duress, the team certainly brought the stress on themselves. Reduced to four for sixty, India A needed one stable partnership to get the chase into gear. It came in the form of the sixty-eight run partnership between Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik for the fifth wicket that made India A’s success once again in sight. While Karthik fell once more to an injudicious shot, his presence alongside a determined Badrinath was integral to India A getting their first win in the series under their belt. Badrinath’s international calling is only getting louder. And he emphasized it in his sixty-nine run knock of substance.
Thereafter, Yousuf Pathan came out not wanting to drag what should have been easy affair for India A. Jeetan Patel had just snared Karthik but he was immediately treated to two sixes from Pathan. If there can be termed a phrase like arrogance of confidence, it was emphasized in the nonchalant manner in which Yousuf strode to the crease and quickly got into action mode without batting an eyelid or caring two hoots for the bowler’s deed only the previous ball. Yousuf though was riding on his half century from the previous game and he was not to be denied.
One more six from Yousuf and India A were in touching distance. And India A walked back to the pavilion victorious after giving New Zealand A more than a glimmer of hope.
Morning damage:
New Zealand A were dealt three quick blows in the morning and although the visitors did make a recovery, it was just as easy to fall like a pack of cards again. Watling, Guptill and Marshall all found themselves back in the pavilion in the span of the first nine overs of the innings with New Zealand A still only having eight runs on board, Irfan Pathan being the chief destructor. From eight for three, it appeared the road had been paved for India A to register their first win of the tournament after their heartbreaking performance against Australia A yesterday.
The partnership between Broom and Fulton made for a decent consolidation of the disastrous start. While Broom was finally run out for fifty-two, New Zealand were still evenly poised in the game at four down for ninety-seven. But Fulton followed having made forty himself and Elliot ran out of partners trying to make a meal of the innings. Piyush Chawla made useful dents as well, taking three wickets for forty-three. One too many run outs found New Zealand A shortchanging themselves as well. New Zealand A finally folded up on 167 in less than forty-five overs, a target India A will be expected to chase with more gumption than the way they batted against Australia A yesterday.
To read of India A’s defeat to Australia A yesterday, read:
India A Fight Back after Tait-Noffke Jolt But Aus A Register Win
