Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
The sun was back out in New Zealand as the fourth ODI between India and New Zealand got underway at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on Friday. And with the bright sunshine came some heat on the field, with India’s tall fast bowler Gurnoor Brar and New Zealand opener Tim Seifert involved in a fiery exchange. 4th ODI Updates | Scorecard
advertisement
Brar, who has made it a habit to get under the skin of opposition batters, kept needling Seifert as the New Zealand opener took the attack to India’s new-ball bowlers. Seifert and Will Young had given the hosts a flying start after stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer won the toss and opted to field. But Brar eventually had the last word in their contest.
Having been taken for runs earlier in the innings, the 6ft 5in Punjab fast bowler returned to dismiss Seifert with a sharp bouncer. The New Zealand opener attempted to take on the short ball, only to get a top edge that was brilliantly pouched by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan. Brar, however, was not content with the wicket alone. He walked towards Seifert and celebrated animatedly, getting right in the batter’s face.
Seifert was visibly unhappy with the send-off and appeared ready to confront the Indian pacer. Virat Kohli, however, stepped in and pulled Brar away, preventing the exchange from escalating further. The moment caught the attention of the on-air commentators, who expressed their surprise at Kohli playing the peacemaker, given his own history of animated on-field exchanges and confrontations with opposition players.
The on-field umpire, Chris Brown, also intervened, speaking to Brar and appearing to warn the fast bowler against taking his aggression too far. It was another reminder of the fine line between a fast bowler’s competitive intensity and conduct that crosses the line.
There was some context to Brar’s animated celebration, too. The pacer had endured an expensive start to his spell, conceding 14 runs in one over during the Powerplay. Seifert had taken a particular liking to the tall fast bowler, smashing him for a six and two boundaries in the over. Brar was subsequently taken out of the attack and had to wait until after the first Powerplay to return.
By then, Seifert had already raced to a 42-ball half-century, putting New Zealand in a strong position alongside Will Young. The wicket, therefore, was an important breakthrough for India, particularly after the hosts had made such a positive start.
BRAR SHINES WITH PACE AND BOUNCE
Brar, however, had reasons to back himself. The fast bowler has been one of India’s biggest success stories in the ongoing ODI series, picking up seven wickets across the first two matches. He claimed three wickets for 44 runs in the series opener in Auckland before producing a career-best 4 for 30 in Wellington. The 26-year-old has made particularly good use of his height and ability to extract extra bounce from New Zealand’s surfaces.
Earlier on Friday, New Zealand had made a brisk start after Iyer elected to bowl first. Seifert and Young took advantage of some loose bowling and indifferent fielding from India to race to 72 without loss in the first 10 overs. The Indian fielders had not been at their sharpest, allowing the opening pair to build momentum and put the visitors under early pressure.
However, Seifert’s dismissal opened the door for India. The visitors struck again soon after when left-arm spinner Axar Patel trapped New Zealand’s rookie batter Nick Kelly in a sharp piece of wicketkeeping. Kelly was stumped for four, giving India another breakthrough and preventing the hosts from immediately rebuilding after losing their well-set opener.
New Zealand will be keen to put up a substantial total and keep their hopes of staying alive in the five-match series intact. India entered the fourth ODI with a 2-0 lead after winning the first two matches in Auckland and Wellington. The third ODI in Hamilton was washed out due to rain, leaving the hosts with little margin for error in the final two matches.
The fourth ODI also marked a change in leadership and personnel for both sides. Shreyas Iyer took over as India’s captain for the final two matches after regular skipper Shubman Gill moved away from the ODI squad to prepare for the upcoming Test series. KL Rahul was also unavailable, with Ishan Kishan returning to the side as wicketkeeper and Ruturaj Gaikwad getting an opportunity at the top of the order alongside Rohit Sharma.
New Zealand, meanwhile, were without several established names, including Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell, who were among the players unavailable for the final leg of the ODI series as the squad underwent changes ahead of the remaining fixtures. Mitchell Santner continued to lead the hosts, who were looking to respond after losing the opening two matches.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
