XtraTime Web Desk: After his very impressive spell of 5/21 in 10 consecutive overs to bowl India out for just 92, New Zealand pacer Trent Boult said he was merely making the most of the conditions.
Having suffered big defeats in the first three matches to concede the five-match series with two games to spare, New Zealand needed something special to pull one over India in the fourth one-day international on Thursday, 31 January. They delivered, and how!
Boult produced a devastating spell of fast bowling to take five Indian wickets. He enjoyed the swing he got from the Hamilton conditions, so much so he bowled his quota of 10 overs on the trot. His exploits earned the hosts a rather comfortable eight-wicket win.
Trent Boult stars with a record five-for in New Zealand’s dominant win over India in the fourth ODI.
“It’s purely a conditions thing … It was nice to see the ball move in the air like that. I feel like I am a different bowler definitely when it swings. I made the most of it today,” he said.
“It’s just one of those things,” he added in a chat with Star Sports of the decision to bowl out his ten overs in one go. “You get a couple of wickets at the top … it’s a pretty unique thing to bowl 10 overs on the bounce. But just one of those things. The rhythm felt good. The ball was still swinging later in the spell, so it was about making the most of it.
“Once the ball is swinging like that you try to bring as many aspects, in terms of the bowled, the lbw, into play as well. Not so much as the catching men, they’re important to keep the batsmen on strike. I bowled a couple of maidens as well. It’s about not letting them off and giving them the option to rotate strike.”
New Zealand bowl India out for 92!
India have become a formidable one-day unit and a performance like this was unexpected by their standards. Yet, their excellent record in ODIs in recent times means that they can afford to look at this match as a rare blip.
“One of our worst performances with the bat in a long, long time,” said Rohit Sharma, who is standing in as captain with Virat Kohli rested, in the post-match presentation. “Something we didn’t expect.”
But India’s focus will be to put this behind them and get back to their usual ways come the next game in Wellington.