During the second One-Day International (ODI) match between India and New Zealand, which took place on Saturday in Raipur, Hardik Pandya took an incredible catch with one hand to get rid of Devon Conway.
The game did not start off well for New Zealand, and things went from bad to worse as Conway ended up miscuing his shot and giving it right back to Hardik Pandya.
The all-rounder was only slightly off his balance as he caught the ball with his left hand, but that did not prevent him from doing so.
As a consequence of this, the crowd erupted in applause, and Conway seemed visibly astounded at the level of athleticism that was on exhibit.
India’s pace attack, which was led by Mohammed Shami, produced an incisive spell on a difficult surface, which resulted to New Zealand being bowled out for 108.
When New Zealand was reduced to 15 for five in the 11th over, the fervent supporters who had travelled to the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium in Raipur for the city’s first international game thought that the match might be finished sooner than expected.
The high-quality seam bowling of Shami (3/18) and Mohammed Siraj (1/10), combined with the favourable conditions of the pitch, made life difficult for the hitters. The batters had a more difficult time of it since the odd ball stopped sometimes.
Although things were looking bleak for New Zealand, there was still a chance for victory as long as Michael Bracewell (22) and Glenn Phillips (36), who had scored a century in the previous match, were in the middle.
When Bracewell moved forward to hit Shami while she was hiding, he made his intentions perfectly obvious. In the 19th over, after getting hammered for successive fours, Shami produced a quick bouncer, and Bracewell went for the pull, but he only managed to edge it back to the keeper.
Mitchell Santer (27), who had previously struck a fifty in Hyderabad, joined Phillips, and the two of them combined for a 47-run stand for the seventh wicket, which propelled the side above the century mark. However, both of them were out inside the space of six balls, which put an end to New Zealand’s chances of making a comeback.
Phillips gave a regulation catch to Suryakumar Yadav at deep midwicket off a long hop from Washington Sundar (2/7), while Santner hit a beautifully disguised slower ball from Hardik on to the stumps.
The New Zealand batting innings came to a close after Kuldeep Yadav (1/29) bowled number 11 Blair Tickner caught in front. This took 34.3 overs.
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