‘Dhoni run out big moment of the game’

New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson praised his team’s overall effort to clinch an 18-run win against India and informed that the direct run out from Martin Guptill was extremely crucial in the context of the game.

The Kiwi pacers started their 239-run defense superbly as India were five for three after 3.1 overs. 

After a batting collapse, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja’s 116-run partnership gave India hope but after Jadeja’s departure, Dhoni’s run out proved crucial.  

India needed 25 off 10 deliveries when Guptill made a direct throw from square leg to dismiss Dhoni and that put paid to India’s chance in the first semi-final.

@BCCI captain @imVkohli said his team played superb cricket all through the tournament and finished the group stage on top but 45 minutes of bad cricket against world class fast bowling of @BLACKCAPS threw them out of the tournament.https://t.co/plo8uDbLZB#BCCI #INDIA #KOHLI

— Dhaka Tribune Sports (@Sport_DT) July 10, 2019

“We all know the game is a fine line in a number of ways. But that run-out was significant. We've seen Dhoni finish games from those similar positions on a number of occasions. It was a tough surface so nothing promised but naturally to dismiss Dhoni in whatever fashion is extremely important, but for a direct hit run-out very, very similar to Jadeja's I think was a big moment in the game,” Williamson said during the post-match press conference at Old Trafford.

Opening batsman Guptill is having a poor run of form with the bat as he scored 167 runs in nine innings with an average of 20.87 in the 2019 World Cup so far. 

But Williamson said Guptill’s moment of magic in the fielding in the crucial stage of the game was kind of a turning point after India almost pulled it back.

“I mean Guptill is probably the only man on the pitch that could perhaps create that run-out. So contributions can come in so many different ways and I think we've seen on the fielding charts he's been right up there and for him to do that and pull off what was a significant turning point in the match was special and then obviously a great thing for our team,” Williamson concluded.

1ST SEMI-FINAL

NEW ZEALAND INNINGS        R    B

Guptill c Kohli b Bumrah        1    14

Nicholls b Jadeja            28    51

Williamson c Jadeja b Chahal        67    95

Taylor run out (Jadeja)        74    90

Neesham c Karthik b Pandya        12    18

Grandhomme c Dhoni b Bhuvneshwar16    10

Latham c Jadeja b Kumar        10    11

Santner not out            9    6

Henry c Kohli b Bhuvneshwar        1    2

Boult not out                3    3

Extras (lb 5, w 13)            18 

Total (50 Overs)            239/8 

Fall Of Wickets

1-1    (Guptill), 2-69 (Nicholls), 3-134 (Williamson), 4-162 (Neesham), 5-200 (Grandhomme), 6-225 (Taylor), 7-225 (Latham), 8-232 (Henry)

Bowling

Bhuvneshwar 10-1-43-3, Bumrah 10-1-39-1, Pandya 10-0-55-1, Jadeja 10-0-34-1, Chahal 10-0-63-1

INDIA INNINGS            R    B

Rahul c Latham b Henry        1    7

Rohit c Latham b Henry        1    4

Kohli lbw b Boult            1    6

Pant c Grandhomme b Santner    32    56

Karthik c Neesham b Henry        6    25

Pandya c Williamson b Santner    32    62

Dhoni run out (Guptill)        50    72

Jadeja c Williamson b Boult        77    59

Bhuvneshwar b Ferguson        0    1

Chahal c Latham b Neesham        5    5

Bumrah not out            0    0

Extras (lb 3, w 13)            16 

Total (49.3 Overs)            221 all out

Fall Of Wickets

1-4 (Rohit), 2-5 (Kohli), 3-5 (Rahul), 4-24 (Karthik), 5-71 (Pant), 6-92 (Pandya), 7-208 (Jadeja), 8-216 (Dhoni), 9-217 (Bhuvneshwar), 10-221 (Chahal)

Bowling

Boult 10-2-42-2, Henry 10-1-37-3, Ferguson 10-0-43-1, De Grandhomme 2-0-13-0, Neesham 7.3-0-49-1, Santner 10-2-34-2

New Zealand won by 18 runs

MoM: Matt Henry