If batting performance against Pakistan was bad, it was going to get harder to watch for the Indian team and the fans after a week against New Zealand as it was a monumental flop, one for the ages. Indian batters looked confused as to what pace to play, when to attack, whether to play a few dot balls to go for the shots as their approach let them down.
The innings started with a new opening combination with Ishan Kishan and KL Rahul but it followed a similar script to that of the Pakistan game.
Trent Boult troubled his Mumbai Indians teammate Ishan Kishan in the first over trapping him in the crease and on the pads a couple of times but the left-hander got through them. In Boult’s second over, he even smashed a boundary over the leg side but got too greedy after that.
Tim Southee after getting hit for a boundary on the first ball of came back well in the final over of the powerplay to dismiss KL Rahul, who pull the short delivery from the right-arm pacer straight into the hands of deep square leg.
Rohit Sharma after hitting a couple of boundaries couldn’t resist himself hitting against a short ball bowled by the leg-spinner Ish Sodhi, who now has 18 wickets to his name against India in T20Is as now the men in bluw were reduced to 40/3 in the 7th over of the innings.
Trying to up the ante, Virat Kohli took on Ish Sodhi but he decided to go after the wrong delivery as it was outside off and he went for the shot towards leg side and couldn’t time it well and hit straight into the hands of the long-on fielder Trent Boult as the leg-spinner took his second wicket of the evening.
It was just a domino effect. With every new batter coming the hopes rose, that he will make runs, he will help India get to 140-150, but everyone looked so confused as to at what pace to play and when to attack and when not, they were just hitting straight to the fielders.
Ravindra Jadeja with 26* helped India to get their score beyond 100, otherwise, it was looking very murky.
The below-par batting performance inspired hilarious reactions. Some thought that the real Halloween was transpiring in Dubai, while some remember petrol price, while a few criticised the approach of the Indian batters. Here are some of the reactions:
The last time Rohit, Bumrah, Pant and Pandya were performed well in DREAM Ads#INDvNZ#INDvsNZ#T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/k08gai2R9F
— Kachra Seth (@Kachra_Se) October 31, 2021
Even petrol is costlier than our score #IndiaVsNewZealand #INDvNZ
— Mitesh Pal (@MiteshPal4) October 31, 2021
Asli Halloween Dubai mei chal raha hai
— Sarah Waris (@swaris16) October 31, 2021
indian fans mood rn pic.twitter.com/scMylCNLst
— Vedant (@thatcrickettguy) October 31, 2021
Band karo mai aapse haath jodke guzarish karta hu pic.twitter.com/PiFoEnfssp
— Prithvi (@Puneite_) October 31, 2021
India are playing 2010 Cricket .. The game has moved on .. #T20WorldCup
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) October 31, 2021
What a mess India are, completely ruining their batting lineup to accommodate two senior batters who have barely been above average players in the IPL for the past 3 years or so. Horrible.
— Kieran (@BerbaSpinCric) October 31, 2021
#INDvsNZ #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/Jgtx0V5HMd
— Wasim Jaffer (@WasimJaffer14) October 31, 2021
ICC: Your have to play a knockout game against NZ
Indians: pic.twitter.com/i5pS5Mhazs
— Sagar (@sagarcasm) October 31, 2021
Fear of Failure writ large within the Indian camp. You can’t be this bad #IndvsNZ
— Vikrant Gupta (@vikrantgupta73) October 31, 2021
Indian team Right Now:#INDvNZ pic.twitter.com/viFQVe2X7K
— faisal Ra-put (@itz_Sinnerrr) October 31, 2021
One of the worst batting performances in a long time. You did not even understand what and why? 35-2 in 6 and then no initiative whatsoever. This post mortem will be quite ugly in the next few days.
— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) October 31, 2021
After watching India’s batting performance in last 2 matches. Me to them – #INDvNZ #T20WorldCup21 #Cricket #NZvsIND #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/YSqQlnCjEB
— Aash Mehta (@iamaashmehta) October 31, 2021
