Forget about building the castles in the air, live the dream by giving your best, and such appeared to be a message from former Indian National Cricket Team cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar. He lavished praise on Virat Kohli-led side following their clinical show against hosts New Zealand—to clinch the five-match Netmeds One-day International series 3-0.
The visitors looked spot on in the recently-concluded third ODI at the Bay Oval. The visitors thrashed the Black Caps by seven wickets and seven overs to spare on January 28 (Monday).
Batting first, Indian bowlers bundled out the Black Caps inside 50 overs on 243 runs. However, while riding on fifty each from skipper Kohli and his deputy, Rohit Sharma India emerged strongly to wrap up the series. But Ambati Rayudu alongside wicketkeeper-batsman Dinesh Karthik, who made it to the playing XI at the expense of unfit MS Dhoni, put up a great show to stitch 77-run partnership for the fourth wicket and eventually overhauled the target in 43 overs in Mount Maunganui.
Earlier, India put up a grand show to thump Australia 2-1 in the four-match Test series. Also, the significant 50-over show followed it. India clinched the ODI series on the back of MS Dhoni’s resurgence. He smashed three fifties on the trot before being claiming the Man of the Series award for amassing 193 runs in three matches.
The 53-year-old Manjrekar is in awe of national team with the way things have had unfolded on the Kiwis shores.
Holding on to the prominence, the No.2 ranked ICC ODI team India witnessed all-round efforts to make things happen.
Moreover, the penultimate ODI will be played at Seddon Park on 31st of January. Rohit will lead Team India in the absence of Kohli, who has been rested ahead of the ODI series against Australia.
Manjrekar revealed current Team India is the side which he has imagined to represent as a player during his heydays.
“I am seeing an Indian team now that I fantasised about as a player,” Manjrekar tweeted.
The right-handed batsman Majrekar his international debut against the Windies in November 1987. He last played his international game against South Africa at Ahmedabad in November 1996.
Overall, Majrekar played 74 ODIs and 37 Tests for India in between 1987 and 1996. He amassed 2043 runs in the Test fold and 1994 runs in 70 ODI innings. Across formats, he recorded five centuries and 24 fifties to his name.
Here’s the tweet from Sanjay Manjrekar:
I am seeing an Indian team now that I fantasised about as a player. #IndianCricket
— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) January 28, 2019