After taking a 2-0 lead in the ongoing 5-match series against New Zealand, Team India is looking to take an unassailable 3-0 lead at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui. They defeated the hosts by 7 wickets and 90 runs in the first two ODIs. In the third game, the Kiwi skipper, Kane Williamson decided to bat after winning the toss. During the toss, the Indian skipper, Virat Kohli announced two changes in the squad as MS Dhoni and Vijay Shankar made way for Dinesh Karthik and Hardik Pandya.
While Dhoni exclusion was forced as he suffering from a hamstring strain, Hardik’s inclusion was by choice as after getting free from the suspension, he was available for the solution. On the other hand, the hosts also made a change in their squad as Mitchell Santner replaced Colin de Grandhomme.
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In the 40th over of the game, an unusual incident took place as the Kiwi batsmen Henry Nicholls and Ross Taylor ran four runs on an overthrow. Hardik bowled a ball wide outside off and Henry slapped it ferociously on the up to sweeper cover’s left where Shikhar Dhawan stopped the ball with a big leap and threw it on the bounce to the bowler, who smashed a direct hit the striker’s end, but the ball went past Dinesh Karthik and the batsmen hence took the 4th run. Pandya’s direct hit wasn’t sufficient to dismiss Taylor.
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However, on the very next ball, Pandya got the wicket of Nicholls as he bowled a bouncer on the leg stump and the batsman got the glove on it and Karthik took a comfortable catch down the leg. It was s slower bouncer from Hardik and Nicholls was inside the line got himself into the position for the hook, but that seems to come towards his body off the pitch. The hosts were reduced to 191/5 under 40 overs.
Here is the video of the incidents:
https://twitter.com/videos_shots/status/1089754712541343744