SRI TRI - SERIES - IND VS NZ

India made it to the final of this meaningless and "could be avoided" tri-series after NZ batting crumbled without much fight, rather surprisingly.The indication from the Indian camp is certainly clear! The players and the team management are hardly looking at this series as a significant one, continuing with their illogical selections even in a crunch game such as this.The fact that four of the senior players are already resting should have meant India tested their bench strength as much as possible.Instead, MS Dhoni decided to stick with his favourite player, Jadeja just as he continued to keep wickets despite of injured fingers.He won the toss which was followed by a formality of asking him what he wanted to do!Virat Kohli was given a chance instead of Rohit while Tiwary the "waterboy" continued to be on the sidelines.How often does one get to see a four "medium" pace pronged attack from India!Munaf, a player who is a shame on the field when you consider that players out there represent their country, got a look in instead of Ojha.
Anyways, Mills provided the perfect start to the Kiwis by claiming the wicket of Karthik whose role seems to be to inspect the field and return back with vital information about the demons in the pitch for other batsmen!Just as Sehwag looked to be settling in after a not so swashbuckling start, Kohli edged a delivery away from his body ,as he normally does, stood his crease as if to say "hey!that was miles away!!" and left slowly for the pavilion.The snickometer showed a nick and hence, his dissent and the umpire's decision might lead him into some problem.Mills bowled short of a length to Sehwag outside off,thus, asking to be hit and Sehwag obliged by smashing him to all parts of the ground, including a one legged whip through mid wicket!


Yuvraj did not look himself at all as he started sedately and soon was trying uncharacteristic shots eventually gifting his wicket to McKay.Once again, India were in trouble and this being the crunch game for both the teams, Dhoni would have done well to come in.
But ,once again, as has been the norm through out the series, Raina was sent in.For the first time in the series, some short stuff was dished out to Raina, though that seemed to be the Kiwi plan for all Indian batsmen.Raina lost his wicket while pulling the ball, leaving India in further doldrums.Finally, the "tired" Dhoni walked in.The Kiwis were exceptional with their ground fielding as suggested by the efforts of Guptill and Southee.Taylor missed a trick by having deep fielders for Dhoni as he should have tried to stop India from gathering the easy singles.Dhoni and Sehwag carried on the repair work as they looked to steady the wobbling Indian ship.After a few plays and misses off Mc cullum, Sehwag launched into him.He paced his innings very well, aiming for one boundary per over.In no time, he reached to a fine 100 with the team score at 162!He decided to take on the NZ bowling now and after a couple of fime strokes, lost his wicket to the relief of the Indian camp and dismay of the NZ camp as the "legendary all - rounder" Jadeja walked in.The "cricketer" produced a never before seen shot in just the second delivery he faced, playing an describable and inexplicable shot towards cover point while having his back towards the bowler and fetching himself a boundary to remember!Dhoni left the all rounder stranded when Mc cullum removed him.Though he was beaten a couple of times in his innings, Dhoni did well to stabilize the innings and one just wondered why he did not come ahead of Raina.And then completely treachery took place. Southee bowled a great bouncer, surely not in his capacity resulting in the downfall of the great legend!! No more jokes and sarcasm guys! Southee did bowl a fine bouncer to remove Jadeja.The tailenders stretched the score to 221 before Mills got the final wicket of Patel in the 47th over.

India started in a similar fashion to Kiwis, picking up the early wicket of Guptill.Nehra provided another breakthrough in the form of Wattling and Taylor followed him back quickly in the next over! Yes, this all happened in the space of 5 overs to give India the belief that they could win this match.NZ tried to protect Williamson as he was pushed way down the order after a "duckling" start to his international career.Except for the discipline in their line and lengths, Indian opening bowlers did well to generate some swing in helpful conditions.Dhoni perhaps was a little hasty in introducing Patel into the attack in place of Nehra.Perhaps, he was too excited at the luxury of having four medium pacers in his side!India gained total control of the patch as Kumar got his third wicket in the form of Styris.India were certainly on top with both, Taylor and Styris back in the pavilion and it was a chance for the young Williamson to showcase his talent.Incredibly,Dhoni reintroduced Nehra into the attack after just one over from Munaf as Kumar continued from the other end.A foolish tactic he is fast learning from Sangakkara, Dhoni removed Kumar from the attack who had every right to continue for a couple of overs and handed Munaf the bowl!Ishant Sharma made further inroads into the NZ batting when he removed Williamson with a fine incoming delivery.NZ innings was in shambles once Hopkins too lost his wicket to provide the less than ordinary Munaf his first.
Sharma and Patel strayed regularly in their line though the NZ players,sans Vettori were hardly in a position to capitalize!
A hilarious jig followed as NZ batsmen took a single and Praveen Kumar forgot that Watling was running for Mc cullum and excitedly ran to the stumps thinking of a possible run out!!

Nz lost their seventh wicket as Elliot was found plumb in front of the wickets.Soon, Mc cullum followed as the match looked headed for a early,infact too early a finish.The lack of fight or perhaps,the lack of adjustment the NZ batsmen displayed was certainly disappointing given the target they were set was not a challenging one.Why Dhoni introduced Jadeja into the attack and that too in the powerplay is completely baffling!With Praveen and Nehra having quite a few overs up their sleeve, Dhoni should have gone for the kill.
It was an extremely poor move, one which might pay in bigger matches against more solid oppositions.Sharma was thrashed by Mills, a just treatment to his inconsistency as his bowling was just like a see-saw!Mills played a thrilling and incaptivating innings as he took on the attack to the Indians, sending Kumar and Sharma to all parts of the ground (Sorry, i dont consider Jadeja a bowler and hence, wont mention him!).Dhoni was hit while keeping to Nehra on his injured right hand and was visibly in pain.His stupidity to continue keeping in such circumstances is fast degrading him from the levels of captaincy many have come to respect.Mills made a joyous and entertaining fifty before the NZ innings folded at 118, handing India a 105 run victory and a place in the finals of the tri-series.On a day where the most expansive Indian bowler had an economy of 4.50 and every bowler delivered atleast one maiden, Jadeja had an economy of 7.00 off his three overs without a maiden.

Though India find themselves in the finals, the batting effort remains to be a big concern.Sehwag and extras contributed to more than 50% of the Indian total!After winning the toss and batting first, Indian batsmen were certainly expected to do a lot more.The likes of Saurabh Tiwary have done enough to atleast deserve a chance and so has Pujara to atleast make it to the squad.The Indian bowlers did well though it still remains to be seen how India perform with a quartet of these medium pacers while bowling first in such conditions.A yet another Ind-Sri final awaits us and Dhoni would do well to miss the game and take a rest providing Tiwary a look in.