Ravindra Jadeja and Navdeep Saini kept India in the hunt with a 76-run partnership in their chase of 274 to level the three-match ODI series. Saini and Jadeja in the process also scripted history at the India vs New Zealand ODI match at Auckland. Their partnership of 76 runs is now the fourth-highest Indian stand for the eighth wicket in One-Day international cricket. The partnership is also India’s second-highest partnership for the same wicket in any IND vs NZ ODI match. Saini, who came to bat at Shradul Thakur’s dismissal with India still 120 runs behind, made 45 runs to take India closer to the target and although the visitors eventually fell 22 runs, Jadeja and Saini had recorded an incredible achievement. New Zealand Vs India, Highlights And Cricket Score.

Saini’s innings of 45 came from 49 deliveries, which comprised of five boundaries and two hits over the fence, in an eighth-wicket partnership of 76. The pair, however, fell four runs short of eclipsing Kapil Dev and Kiran More’s 82 against the same opposition in Bengaluru 1987 which is India’s third-highest stand for the eighth wicket and highest against New Zealand. The highest ever partnership for the eighth-wicket in Indian cricket belongs to MS Dhoni-Bhuvneshwar Kumar pair who shared a century stand against Sri Lanka in 2017. They are followed by Harbhajan Singh-Praveen Kumar duo’s 84 against Australia at Vadodara, 2009. Virat Kohli Fumes at Umpire for Approving Henry Nicholls’ Review Despite Time Out During IND vs NZ 2nd ODI, Netizens Come Out in Indian Captain’s Support.

Interestingly, Dhoni-Kumar’s 100-run partnership was the only partnership in the top five to have happened outside the subcontinent before Jadeja and Saini’s 76 run-stand at the Eden Park in Auckland. Jadeja was also involved in a 74 runs partnership with Praveen Kumar against Australia in Guwahati, 2009. Only twice have India won in such instances with Kapin Dev-Kiran More and MS Dhoni-Bhuvneshwar Kumar being the two.

Meanwhile, Jadeja and Saini’s late heroics failed to save India from slumping to an ODI series defeat in New Zealand. Saini fell in the 45th over with India’s still needing 43 runs to win while Jadeja was the last wicket to fall. His dismissal sealing India’s fate at Auckland.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 08, 2020 04:04 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).