Indian cricket team registered a whitewash over New Zealand with a huge 90-run win in the 3rd and final ODI match of the series in Indore. Indian opening duo of Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill put up a stellar batting show as they smashed the Kiwi bowlers to all the corners of the ground during their remarkable 212-run stand in 157 balls. While Rohit scored 101 runs off 85 balls, smashing 9 fours and 6 sixes, and Gill smashed 112 runs off 78 balls, including 13 fours and 5 sixes. Riding on the stellar batting performances of both the openers, team India put up a remarkable 212-run stand in 157 balls.
Later, chasing a mammoth target of 385 runs, New Zealand lost Finn Allen in the first over itself for a duck. However, Devon Conway stole the show with his bat as he batted exceptionally well alongside Henry Nicholls and had a brilliant 106-run partnership. Conway batted brilliantly and scored 138 runs off 100 balls, smashing 12 fours and 8 sixes, before getting out. Shardul Thakur and Kuldeep Yadav bagged three wickets each while Chahar, Hardik Pandya, and Umran Malik shared the remaining 4 wickets.
The Men in Blue didn’t make any change in the playing for the first 2 ODIs. In the 3rd ODI, the team management decided to rest pacers, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj. However, there was no change in the batting lineup. KS Bharat and Rajat Patidar didn’t get the opportunity to make a debut for team India and remained uncapped.
After the match, during the post-match press conference, Rohit Sharma was asked about Rajat Patidar’s absence from the playing XI. He was asked if he could have gotten a game on his home ground as Rajat plays for Madhya Pradesh in Ranji Trophy. Responding to the query, Rohit Sharma came up with a perfect reply as he explained the logic behind the decision. He said:
“We will play him if there’s a place, Sir. There is a Virat Kohli at number 3, Ishan Kishan at number 4, who sat out after scoring a double century. Suryakumar Yadav is at number 5 and the whole world knows what he is doing and there’s a Hardik Pandya at number 6. So, there should be a space,”
He added: “We want everyone to play, but that cannot happen until we have enough space. I know we should have played him in Indore…Ranchi, Jharkhand mein Ishan Kishan bhi bolega mujhe bhi khilaao yaar mein Ranchi ka hu (In Ranchi, Jharkhand, Ishan Kishan will say he should play as he is from Ranchi). It doesn’t happen like that. We have a plan, the boys will get a chance…many are waiting in line.”
Check out the Tweet:
“Ishan Kishan will also tell to play him in Ranchi,” Rohit Sharma #INDvsNZ #TeamIndia #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/RS3aSR1DiM
— Ranjeet Saini (@ranjeetsaini7) January 25, 2023
