Talking Points: India's two perfect overs, New Zealand's rescue duo
Match Highlights: New Zealand v Namibia
Phillips and Neesham’s big impact
New Zealand’s innings was solid but vulnerable for 14 overs, giving big-hitting Namibia hope of chasing a target down and delivering an upset.
But the momentum of the game swung heavily in New Zealand’s favour in the last six overs, thanks to brilliant knocks from Glenn Phillips and Jimmy Neesham.
Where Martin Guptill, Daryl Mitchell, Kane Williamson and Devon Conway all struggled to find fluency, the middle-order pair delivered, hitting five maximums out of their combined seven total boundaries in a 76-run partnership that ultimately won the game for their side.
It’s a big boost for New Zealand to have their middle-order find form. It’s likely going to need some big batting performances in the remainder of the tournament if they are to get out of the reach of Afghanistan and potential semi-final opponents.
Player of the Match Jimmy Neesham's game-turning performance
Too tall a task for Namibia
The quality of the Namibian batting line-up has been a feature of their campaign at the tournament, but a chase of 164 against New Zealand’s attack was always going to be tricky.
And the reply was scuppered by two mini-collapses that removed all momentum from Namibia’s innings.
The top three all fell within a two-over spell that yielded just eight runs while the big-hitting middle order were outclassed at the death by Tim Southee and Trent Boult.
Namibia have a Super 12 win against Scotland to make sure that the tournament will go down as a success, but this was not their best showing. Next up it’s the small matter of India in the last match of the group.
NRR no longer a factor for New Zealand
New Zealand’s qualification permutation is straightforward. Beat Afghanistan in their final game and they are through. Lose and they are out.
The only unknown if Kane Williamson’s side do lose their last game is whether it will be Afghanistan or India who progress along with Pakistan to the semi-finals.
That’s because of the net run rate situation in the group, but New Zealand’s NRR is still lower than Afghanistan’s, so they can no longer finish second with a loss in their last game.
Match Highlights: India v Scotland
Two wicket maidens in the Powerplay
Wicket maidens in T20 cricket are quite rare. But two wicket maidens, that too inside the Powerplay, was quite the extraordinary feat that India managed to achieve.
Bumrah, after being hit for a six in the first over, came back strongly in his second to dismiss skipper Kyle Coetzer with the slower one. Matt Cross walked in and was kept guessing by Bumrah with his wily variations, both in lengths and speed.
Jasprit Bumrah strikes early for India
Mohammad Shami was brought on in the last over of the Powerplay and scalped the wicket of the dangerous George Munsey, who had smashed Ravi Ashwin for three consecutive fours Unlike his fellow fast bowler, Shami did not bother with varying his speeds, bowling at a searing pace to keep the batter on his toes.
Scotland finished the Powerplay on 27/2 and safe to say, they never really recovered from it.
Jadeja turns the game in India's favour
Ravindra Jadeja broke the back of Scotland's lineup in just his first over, after being brought back into the attack after the Powerplay.
If that wasn't enough, he returned to take the wicket of Michael Leask, which was an important scalp, in hindsight, given he was striking the ball very well.
He first scalped the wicket of Richie Berrington with a delivery that would be every left-arm orthodox's dream ball, getting the ball to spin past the right-hander's outside edge to rattle the stumps. He then trapped Matt Cross in front of the stumps in the last ball of his over.
Ravindra Jadeja strike with dream ball
He was brought back into the attack after the drinks break and delivered immediately, trapping Leask, who was on 21 off 11 balls at the time, plumb in front of the stumps.
The wicket exposed the lower order quickly and the pacers did their jobs to skittle Scotland out for 85.
Massive NRR boost for India
After bundling Scotland out for just 85, India needed to chase the total down in less than 7.1 overs to go past Afghanistan on net run rate. In the end, India only needed 6.3 overs as they leapfrogged Afghanistan to the third spot in the Group 2 standings.
India's net run rate the loss to New Zealand was -1.609 and after two thumping wins, it now stands at +1.619, the best in Group 2.
Despite two back-to-back dominant wins, India's fate is still not in their hands as they now need Afghanistan to beat New Zealand and then themselves beat Namibia in the final Super 12 game to qualify for the semi-finals.
