Hardik Pandya has just made an incredible catch, matching the brilliance of Mohammed Shami’s earlier catch. Conway, the New Zealand batsman, is amazed by the one-handed catch. The crowd’s reaction was delayed as they only realized the significance of the catch when they saw the Indian fielders celebrating along with the bowler.
The ball was on a good length and just outside off, Conway leaned forward and hit it low and to the left of the bowler. Hardik, who was on his follow through, casually stuck out his left hand and the ball stuck, leaving New Zealand in a difficult position within the first powerplay.
India will aim to secure a series-winning victory against New Zealand in the second ODI in Raipur, as the team led by Rohit Sharma seeks to solidify their position at the top of the ICC ODI rankings for teams.
India, who are currently ranked fourth with 110 ranking points, are looking to surpass New Zealand, England, and Australia to reach the number one spot. The team’s quest for the top spot will be aided by a 3-0 series sweep against New Zealand, which will give them 114 points.
Though New Zealand lost the first ODI by a narrow margin, they are still currently the top-ranked ODI side. However, India has a chance to overtake them with a series whitewash in the ongoing three-match series, following a 3-0 victory against Sri Lanka.