Travis Head’s bulldozing hundred and recreation consciousness in crunch moments helped Australia negate a marvellous century by Rachin Ravindra to register an exhilarating five-run victory over New Zealand of their World Cup match in Dharamsala on Saturday. The destruction of Head (109 off 67 balls) and his opening accomplice David Warner (81 off 65 balls) throughout their 175-run alliance upfront gelled nicely with some late-order biffing as Aussies overcame a middle-order meltdown to put up 388 all out, after they have been put into bat.
Ravindra made a glowing 116 off 89 balls and James Neesham a manic 39-ball 58 however the Kiwis might solely handle 383 to undergo their second successive defeat within the event.
The cumulative rating of 771 posted by the 2 groups is highest combination rating in a World Cup recreation surpassing 754 collectively notched up by South Africa (428) and Sri Lanka (326) in New Delhi on October 7, on this very occasion.
With this win, Australia have eight factors from six matches, identical as New Zealand, and they’re firmly entrenched at No. four at this level.
However that place didn’t come with out its moments of scares. Ravindra gave them the most important of all of them with an innings that belied his tender age of 23.
The left-hander doesn’t have a giant body, however what he does have is immense timing that permits him to ship the ball miles into the stands when required.
Pat Cummins will vouch for that. Ravindra picked up a size ball exterior the off-stump from the pacer to cart it over the covers for a six, and it was a stunner.
His batting is straightforward on the eyes as nicely – adequate back-lift and a flowing follow-through make him a great addition to the elegant left-handers’ membership.
However these technicalities apart, his temperament too needs to be patted as Ravindra batted with out even an iota of stress in opposition to a set of battle-hardened Aussies.
The Wellington lad, who was dropped on 100 by Glenn Maxwell off his personal bowling, additionally pieced collectively good stands with fellow opener Devon Conway (61), 96 with Darryl Mitchell (54) for the third wicket and 54 with Tom Latham (21) for the fourth wicket.
Ravindra reached his hundred off 77 balls with a high quality six off Maxwell over deep mid-wicket. It was his second hundred on this WC after the one within the event opener in opposition to England at Ahmedabad.
He additionally joined Kane Williamson, Martin Guptill and Glenn Turner as the one Kiwi batters to have scored two lots of within the World Cup.
However all that ended when Ravindra gave a catch to Maxwell at deep off Cummins.
Neesham did attempt his finest to take Black Caps residence with a breezy fifty however some limb-forgetting fielding by the Aussies on a dodgy HPCA stadium outfield in the previous couple of overs denied Kiwis a outstanding win.
Australia, particularly Marnus Labuschagne, have been fairly distinctive in that part and so they even needed to subject with 5 fielders contained in the ring within the closing over for sluggish over charge.
However they summoned each ounce of expertise and athleticism to emerge on the proper aspect of the outcome.
Earlier, Head, who changed Cameron Inexperienced within the enjoying 11, and Warner garnered 175 runs in a mere 19.1 overs.
Head was over-aggressive in his partnership with Warner, taking up New Zealand bowlers with disdain, and it was powerful to think about that this was truly his first match of the event.
The left-hander changed Mitchell Marsh, who got here in at No. 3, on the pole place and by no means actually made Australia felt the absence of the big-hitting ‘Bison’.
Fortune additionally favoured Head whereas cruising to his fourth ODI hundred. Head was dropped by Mitchell Santner off his personal bowling when the batter was on 70.
5 runs later, Glenn Phillips at covers allowed the ball whizz by his fingers as Head tried to clatter spinner Ravindra.
However these blips aside, Head and Warner have been tremendous clean, pulling, chopping and driving at will to make runs across the subject.
However the Kiwis bowlers, usually a frugal unit below Trent Boult, couldn’t hit the proper strains and their fielders too have been butterfingered, dropping 5 catches.
New Zealand have been additionally not helped by the absence of pacer Lockie Ferguson, who conceded 38 runs in three overs, as he left the sector with ache in his proper Achilles.
The 2 left-handers exploited these lapses and slices of fortune to the hilt. In truth, Warner reached his fifty in 28 balls and Head his half-century in 25 balls.
With the openers in overdrive 118 runs cascaded within the first Energy Play which contained a complete of 10 sixes – six by Warner and 4 by Head.
However the breaks got here in after Warner’s dismissal, caught by spinner Phillips off his personal bowling. The spin trio of Phillips, Santner and Ravindra stifled the Australian middle-order.
Phillips cleaned up Head with a faster one, whereas Marsh, Steve Smith and Labuschagne additionally fell to the gang of sluggish males because the Aussies misplaced 4 wickets for 74 runs in that interval.
Australia wanted some momentum from 274 for 5, and Maxwell (41 off 24 balls), Josh Inglis (38 off 28 balls) and captain Cummins (37 off 14 balls) offered that.
Maxwell and Inglis made 62 runs between 44.four and 47th over which ultimately proved the distinction. However solely by simply.
(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)
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