New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell feels they left it too much to do at the end after they lost the first ODI against India by 12 runs at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium, Hyderabad on Wednesday. The Kiwis were in all sorts of trouble at 131-6 while chasing a gargantuan score of 350 runs and the match looked all but over.
However, Bracewell and Mitchell Santner got their team back into the contest with a seventh-wicket alliance of 162 runs, the best for the Kiwis in the format. The run rate climbed to double digits but Bracewell kept hitting the odd boundaries to keep it away from swelling.
Bracewell completed his hundred off 57 balls as he batted at the top of his game to tear apart the opposition bowlers. It was a superman effort from the left-hander as he scored the third-fastest century for the Kiwis and the second-fastest against the Indian team. The southpaw scored a dozen fours and 10 sixes in his blistering knock of 140 runs off just 78 balls.
It was a mind-blowing knock from Bracewell and he got support from Mitchell Santner, who scored 57 runs from 45 balls. New Zealand needed 20 runs in the final over but Shardul Thakur was able to keep his calm as he bowled a perfect yorker to plumb Bracewell in front of the wickets and get his team over the line.
The southpaw feels India was able to nail their plans to perfection and gave credit to the opposition bowlers.
Michael Bracewell said after the game, “We were just trying to give ourselves a chance (by building a partnership after six wickets). Unfortunately, we fell short right at the end. Once Mitchell (Santner) and I managed to settle, we started believing. We weren’t trying to win it then, just wanted to take it deep to give us a chance. We left too much to do at the end. You back yourself to get 20 runs in the last over, unfortunately, it wasn’t my day today. They bowled really well in that phase, stuck to their plans, and nailed their yorkers (on losing a bit of tempo after reaching in a hundred). It was difficult to get them away at that stage. Unfortunately, we couldn’t get over the line today.”
This was the second ODI century for Bracewell and it will give him a lot of confidence for the upcoming matches. The second ODI between India and New Zealand will be played in Raipur on Saturday.
