Snapshots: All it took India was 'one' change

Did that 'sting'?

The centre-stage [read pitch] at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune has had its fair share of attention. In January earlier this year, over 700 runs were scored in the India-England ODI, and in a month's time it had become a graveyard for the same ilk. 31 wickets were pocketed by spinners and it was little surprise the ICC rated it poor for a trifle over a two-day finish.

On Wednesday (October 25), the pitch graduated into a Colosseum offering a full dose of theatrics. A sting operation conducted by a private television news channel showed the curator Pandurang Salgaonkar letting two journalists in disguise as bookies enter the vicinity of the surface and leaking information about it.

As the cricketing world went bonkers over the shocking developments, the MCA President Abhay Apte bought his time for the entire media clan to arrive. Shortly, the curator was sacked, an enquiry was launched, the ICC observer had approved of the conditions as well, and in less than an hour, cricket returned to take the centre-stage - as it should. Imagine if the stage itself could speak? "Did that 'sting'? Sigh!"

When the new ball bowlers handed India a new life

Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Jasprit Bumrah have been phenomenal in the limited-overs form and as their team arrived for the second ODI with the backs against the wall, the duo pulled trickery out of their top drawer. Although Martin Guptill found the boundary twice and Colin Munro sent one packing, the openers were mostly put through a stern test.

There were prods and close shaves, drives and misses, before Bhuvneshwar tailed it into Munro and took the next away from Guptill. Skipper Kane Williamson was nabbed by Bumrah. There was a period where India had bowled ten dots in a row and inside the first seven, the tourists had been reduced to three down for a few peanuts on the board.

There was a period of brief resilience when Colin de Grandhomme and Henry Nicholls arrested the slide of wickets. But all that Kohli had to do was summon Bhuvneshwar. The pacer curled one back in again to send the leg stump out of its groove against a defiant Nicholls. Between the two [Bhuvneshwar and Bumrah], they sent five New Zealanders back to the hut and thus, New Zealand to a point of no return.

At times, all it takes is just 'one' change

Kuldeep Yadav clearly looked baffled in the series opener as Tom Latham brought out the sweep to combat his chinaman. Not often had two young wrist spinners worn a puzzled look recently. However, while Bharat Arun came out and claimed in the open that they had watched enough videos and would come out with a different plan, he probably meant they would bring Axar Patel into the eleven.

Axar has never been a big turner of the ball and after three overs of darters to the centurion from the Mumbai contest, he finally switched angles. Knowing that Latham had clearly been covering the off stump every time he swept, Axar came from round the wicket - an angle Latham seemed unprepared for. He went for the sweep and saw his stumps being rattled. One change the hosts had made, proved to be enough.

Karthik scores, but also miscalculates

When Colin Munro rolled his fingers on a delivery, India's latest No. 4 batsman attempted a big slog across the line. Funnily enough, the moment he missed it, he pointed a finger straight down the pitch. Just as one thought that there could have been some disturbance behind the bowler's arm, he started counting the fielders inside the ring. As it turned out, he had miscalculated the number of fielders inside the ring and attempted the wild swipe expecting the umpires to signal a no-ball.

Much to the embarrassment of Karthik, neither did the umpires call a no-ball nor did he connect. Ross Taylor walked in from the on-side to take a dig at Karthik. It all ended with a good laugh.