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Phew! That was quite a game alright. It has still not sunk in so we're off to catch a breather and absorb it all. It's been nothing short of a pleasure calling the action for you today and we can't thank you enough for joining us. Do stay tuned to Sportskeeda for further news and updates from the cricketing world and of course, return to catch our coverage of the 2nd ODI in Lucknow on Saturday, January 21, to see if the Kiwis can draw level or if India go on to wrap up the series. For the moment though, this is the duo of Pratyush Rohra and Sooryanarayanan Sesha taking your leave. Good night and see you around soon!
You had to see it to believe it. Today belongs to two special players who unfurled two special knocks. Only one could end up on the winning side though and it was Shubman Gill on this occasion. But today will be equally remembered for Michael Bracewell's sheer genius. Every time we think of this Shubman Gill double-hundred in time to come, there is no way we cannot recollect Bracewell's Herculean effort either. A game for the ages, two knocks for the ages and a timely reminder of the ebbs and flows of this sport.
There were two stand-out contenders for the Player of the Match and it is the double centurion who gets the award. Here's what Shubman Gill has to say after a special outing: (Sixes) I think I was waiting eagerly to go out there and do what I want to do. With the wickets falling, there were times I wanted to unleash but had to hold back. I wanted to hit some sixes and I'm glad it came off today. Sometimes, when the bowler is on top, you have to put pressure back on them. So, that was my plan, to hit the gaps and run hard. (Thinking about the double century) I wasn't really thinking about getting the 200. Once I hit those couple of sixes, I think in the 47th over, that's when I thought I can get there but before that, it was all about getting the partnerships. (On Kishan) It's amazing. He's one of my best mates in the team and it's amazing to spend time with him. I was there when he scored his double hundred and it was special. (On his own batting) It isn't a 'wow feeling but it feels nice when you want to do something and it comes off on regular basis. Definitely a feeling of satisfaction. It sunk in pretty well when Bracewell started hitting those sixes and the game went pretty close. This is what things are made of.
Rohit Sharma (India captain): (On Bracewell) The way he was batting and the way the ball was coming onto the bat, we knew it was going to be a challenge defneding that score. It was clean striking today. After we had them five down, we thought we were pretty much in the game unless we really slip up. We didn't really execute well but it was tough with the dew. I said it at the toss too that we wanted to put ourselves in that situation and see how the guys respond. (On Shubman Gill's knock) To be at the other end and watch him bat is fantastic. It's clean striking again. No aerial shots, he backed himself to get into a good position and play his shots. That is why we wanted to give him a run in the Sri Lanka series. The kind of form he was in, it was only fair he got that chance. He's a naturally free-flowing batter and was quite fun watching him from the other end. Siraj has been brilliant, not just in this game but also with the red ball and in the T20 format. And now even in ODI cricket he has gone from strength to strength. He's very clear in his mind and that is what is important in a game like this. He's not afraid to use the short ball as well which is very exciting.
Tom Latham (New Zealand captain): It was obviously an amazing innings. From 120-6 and from the situation of the game, to come in and play an innings like that to take it to the last and needing 12 off 4 balls. For him to put our team in a winning situation was outstanding and it's disappointing we didn't get over the line. It was right up there (with some of the best innings). When you're chasing a big score, your team is under pressure when he came in. To give ourselves a chance in the end was great. We've seen it from him before, believe it or not. Certainly, credit goes to him for the way he played. Most of us were trying to stay in the same seat. To be in a position to potentially win that game was outstanding and hopefully, we can take the confidence from that heading into the next game. (Bowl doing a bit more under lights?) I think so. It gripped a little bit more. We saw India starting to use the cutters into the wicket and it was a little bit responsive. But the way Bracewell was able to respond to it to counter-attack and put that partnership on with Santner was great. We've got to take the learnings from this game and take it into the next one.
Time to hear from the man of the moment, Michael Bracewell: Obviously, we were just trying to give ourselves a chance there. We managed to put a big partnership on but unfortunately, it wasn't enough. We fell 12 runs short, which is a bit of a bummer, really. (Countering bowling plans) It's early on in my international career, so I don't have a lot of footage of these bowlers bowling but you obviously get a feel for their style and the patterns they try to bowl. You can only scout so much until you play against them but then you try to think on your feet when you're out there and try to get an understanding of what they're doing. Then using that information to gather the report. (When did they start believing) Once Mitch (Santner) and I got settled and managed to get a bit of a partnership. It was just about trying to take the game as deep as possible. We weren't really talking too much about trying to win the game. It was just about taking it deep. With the reasonably small boundaries here, we knew we could take the game deep and can give ourselves a chance at the end. We were able to do that but we probably left ourselves too many to get to try and have a good crack. You've got to back yourself to get 20 off the last over and unfortunately, it wasn't my day today. (Lost rhythm after his century?) Yeah, I think the bowlers bowled particularly well through that period. You've got to take your hat off to them. They really stuck to their plans and nailed their yorkers. It was particularly difficult at that stage to try and get them away. That's cricket at the end of the day. Bowlers are allowed to bowl well and you've just got to try and take the game deeper. We were able to take it to the last over and unfortunately couldn't get over the line.
Match Summary: India prevail by 12 runs and go 1-0 up in the series.
Shubman Gill 208 (149) | Mohammed Siraj 4/46 (10) Michael Bracewell 140 (78) | Daryl Mitchell 2/30 (5)
CLUTCH: The Michael Bracewell Story.
Not a bad idea for an autobiographical title is that? A man who was a wicket-keeper until a couple of years ago before he decided to turn to off-spin. A man who morphed himself into the all-rounder New Zealand needed and broke the gate down into the main side. And a man who walks off a tragic hero having nearly pulled off the greatest heist in the history of the sport. That. Was. Special!
Where do we begin though? It was all about Shubman Gill for the first half of this contest after his sublime double-hundred powered India to a massive score. With Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami breathing fire in the powerplay and tying the batters down in knots, the chase never got going until Finn Allen pulled the trigger and took a special liking for Hardik Pandya. Shami took a blow to his left palm and while he returned to bowl later on, even he wouldn't have envisioned the game going down to the wire in the manner it did. Especially because the Indian attack was all over the Blackcaps.
Kuldeep Yadav's double-whammy stalled the Kiwis and with skipper Tom Latham looking in all sorts, the asking rate continued to mount and got out of bounds for the visitors. They needed 216 off the last 20 overs and this contest was bound to head just one way. At least that's what it seemed like...
But Bracewell and Mitchell Santner had other ideas. One toyed around with the field at will and the other unleashed classy shots out of the book and picked his spot himself. A brisk 50-run partnership soon developed into a century stand as New Zealand racked up 113 between overs 31 and 40 to bring the game back from the dead. India's bowlers looked clueless with Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur in particular taking a real hammering. None of them seemed to have no answer to Bracewell's mastery as he went about shellacking the attack at will with laps, scoops and lofts all around the park. It was ball-striking of the highest order and even the Hyderabad crowd was left in admiration of the same!
The partnership continued to flourish past the 150-run mark and the hosts were clutching at straws. Bracewell racked up the third fastest century by a Kiwi in men's ODIs and it was slipping away from India. That was until Siraj returned to break the game open again with a double-strike as he prized out Santner before flattening Henry Shipley's middle stump.
That transferred all hopes of a New Zealand win on Bracewell's shoulders. He fought until the very end and seemed like pulling it off with an array of strokes all around the park. But in the end, it was a pinpoint yorker from Shardul that hammered the most decisive nail into the Blackcaps' coffin. That was quite some passage of play alright! Stick around to hear from the captains!
The slow death from Anil Chaudhary as he signals heartbreak for Michael Bracewell. That is absolutely dead. And Bracewell walks off a tragic hero. Shardul Thakur has the final say in the contest and somehow, after a contest that didn't look like one, India cling on by the skin of their teeth! Phew!
49.2 Shardul Thakur to Michael Bracewell, STONE DEAD LBW! Surely, it has to be! Finds the block hole on this occasion and it deflected off Bracewell's boot to run away into the ropes. However, he was so far across on this occasion and that his leg-stump was visible. No doubt in the umpire's mind as the finger goes up. Review is taken but the players are already shaking hands. UltraEdge confirms no bat involved. Three reds on ball tracking, as expected. The decision stands and New Zealand are bundled out for 337! Agonizing for New Zealand and more so for Bracewell, who was so close to getting his side over the line. Thakur holds his nerve in the end to give India a 12-run victory in a thrilling contest! Michael Bracewell lbw b Shardul Thakur 140 (78b, 12x4, 10x6)
Also called one for the over. Every delivery is a countdown here. 13 needed off 5...
49.2 Shardul Thakur to Michael Bracewell, WIDE. For height. Slower bouncer to follow Bracewell as he shuffled across and was beaten all ends up. The wide call is the right one and it bails him out
Long off, long on, deep mid-wicket, deep square leg and sweeper cover are the boundary riders.
Rohit sure looks displeased with his bowler. Bracewell continues to shellack the Indian attack. 14 needed off 5 now...
49.1 Shardul Thakur to Michael Bracewell, SIX! Pressure right back on the bowler! He did attempt the slower bouncer but it was a half-tracker that sat up nicely for Bracewell. He sits back and pumps it over long-on to send it 15 rows back into the crowd! Biggest six of the day and what a time to get it.
Four fielders deep on the leg-side. Will Shardul back himself with a bouncer?
Shardul Thakur [7.0-0-47-1] to bowl the final over of the game
So this is it! It's one man standing between India and the series lead. It's one man who has written himself into cricketing folklore irrespective of how this one ends. But the big question is, who bowls the final over for the hosts? New Zealand require20 runs off the final over. And it's Shardul Thakur who has been trusted with staving off Bracewell!
49
overs
330/9score
1
1
W
1
0
1
runs
Michael Bracewell*
134(76)
Blair Tickner
1(1)
Hardik Pandya
1/70
48.6 Hardik Pandya to Michael Bracewell, bangs it in short on this occasion. Bracewell stands tall to pull this to deep mid-wicket for one. He'll keep strike for all six deliveries left, you'd think.
He's taking it upon himself now and rightly so you'd think. It's either Bracewell or India at the moment.
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Michael Bracewell
*
Hardik Pandya
Video
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