In the second ODI match against Team India, New Zealand registered a comfortable victory by seven wickets at the Saurashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Rajkot.
Despite the loss, Team India`s wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul earned praise for his crucial knock under pressure. Facing 92 deliveries, the right-handed batsman smashed an unbeaten112 runs, which was laced with 11 boundaries and a maximum.
Former Team India cricketer Ravi Shastri explained how Rahul managed to complete his century in a difficult situation. He said that the batting wasn`t easy for two newcomers (Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja) when the ball started turning softer.
“When he came, it wasn`t easy. To do it the way he did, I think full credit. He came at number five today, but India were 118 for four at one stage when Virat got out. The pitch had slowed up a bit. The ball was a little older and softer, and two newcomers had come to the crease. Jadeja and he were both on zero, you know, when that partnership started. And then once he reached about 30 or 40, you could see the fluency. He started opening up and played some terrific shots,” he said.
Former New Zealand cricketer Ian Smith labelled Rahul as a “mature and smart cricketer”, who knows when to release his brakes.
“He`s a very mature cricketer. He handles the situation well. Seen him open so many times. Seen him bat at six and we`ve seen him bat in between. He`s a very smart cricketer, and he`s got all the shots, and he knows exactly when to release the brakes,” he said.
Rahul entered the crease when India was three down for 115 and soon witnessed Virat Kohli`s stump removed for 23. However, he carried on for almost 30 overs and completed his century with a strike rate of 121.74.
The right-handed batsman has a fine record against NZ in ODIs, having made 469 runs in 10 innings at an average of 93.8, with an SR of over 111, with two centuries and a half-century.
IND vs NZ 3rd ODI: Date and venue
With the series currently tied at 1-1, the third ODI match between Team India and New Zealand is scheduled to be played on January 18 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore. It will be interesting to see which team manage to clinch the series.
(With ANI Inputs)
