India A vs New Zealand A

Here are the highlights from the third and final unofficial one-dayer between India A and New Zealand A at the M. A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.

The visiting side was bowled out for 167 in 40.2 overs in the first match and for 219 in 47 overs in the second. Chahar’s last appearance in India colours was in the Namibia game in Dubai at the last T20 World Cup. And trying to follow the selection logic that led to his absence can be a painful pursuit for some, especially after captain Rohit’s comments in February that “you need that [Samson’s] kind of shot-making ability” at the T20 World Cup in Australia later this year. Ravindra tossed up the first ball of his first over on a wide line, and Varma biffed him over extra cover. In May this year, at the Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai Indians’ Varma and Hrithik Shokeen produced a responsible stand of 48 in 47 balls to knock Chennai Super Kings out of IPL 2022 with a scrappy five-wicket win. He has fallen rapidly down India’s pecking order since pipping Yuzvendra Chahal to the India squad for the 2021 T20 World Cup in the UAE. With the next ODI World Cup in India set to take place in just over a year, the seam bowling all-rounder is staking a claim with his performances. As a bowling strategy for New Zealand, it provided the highlight of the first 10 overs that could otherwise be described as a missed opportunity. His second over was the one that clicked. But New Zealand A skipper Tom Bruce’s athleticism and skill at the long-on boundary will go down as one of the best moments never to be shown live. Thakur was not part of the recently concluded Asia Cup, nor was he picked in the squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. From Shardul Thakur’s blazing cameo and Tom Bruce’s acrobatic effort at long-on to Tilak Varma’s measured aggression, here are the main highlights from the third and final unofficial one-dayer between India A and New Zealand A at the M.