Video: One of the greatest finishes ever in ODI cricket
Feb 18, 2017 at 11:23 AM
The first One-Day International game was played on 5 January 1971 and since then the format has produced some really close encounters which had kept the fans right at the edge of their seat till the very last moment. Most of the times the team which remained calm and handled the pressure well ended on the winning side but sometimes those nerve-racking games had ended in a tie and one such interesting encounter was witnessed when Indian were playing against New Zealand in 2014.
After losing the first two games of the five-match ODI series, India had to win the third match in Auckland to keep the series alive. But after New Zealand ended their batting, it looked as if India would lose the series.Batting first the hosts set an imposing total of 314 runs with the help of century from Martin Guptill and fifty from Kane Williamson. India started their chase brilliantly as their openers added 64 runs for the first wicket.However, 3 wickets in a space of 15 runs derailed India’s chase as they were reeling on 79 for the loss of 4 wickets in the 18th over. With Dhawan, Kohli, Rohit and Rahane back in the pavilion, the match looked all but over for the Men in Blue. New Zealand were on the verge of sealing a historic series win over the world champions, after reducing the Indian team at 184-6 with less than 15 overs remaining.
But Jadeja, who finished unbeaten on 66, and Ravi Ashwin who posted a career-best 65, ensured India stayed in the game. Between them they put on 85 runs in 55 balls for the seventh wicket before Ashwin fell to a spectacular catch by Martin Guptill, leaving Jadeja to get India to the end as the tail-end batsmen fell around him.
But Jadeja played an amazing knock to ensure India managed to tie the third match to keep the ODI series hopes alive. India needed 18 runs off the last over with just one wicket remaining. Jadeja scored a two boundaries and a six but could manage just a single in the last ball to ensure a tie.
Watch the spectacular batting here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjC3R9PidYI