Player of the Match
Player of the Match
391dAlex Malcolm

Travis Head produces the winning hand in 388 vs 383 nail-biter

Rachin Ravindra and James Neesham specials meant it came down to six needed off the final ball for New Zealand, with No. 11 on strike - Australia then closed it out

Match Centre

Statistics

Best performances - Batsmen

R Ravindra
R Ravindra
116(89) 9x4 - 5x6
Control %77%
  • Productive Shot
  • pull
  • 26 runs
  • 2x4 - 2x6
16 10 9 9 17 16 26 13
TM Head
TM Head
109(67) 10x4 - 7x6
Control %82%
  • Productive Shot
  • slog shot
  • 19 runs
  • 0x4 - 3x6
3 9 2 2 31 22 26 14

Best performances - Bowlers

GD Phillips
O10
M0
R37
W3
Eco3.70
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W
A Zampa
A Zampa
O10
M0
R74
W3
Eco7.40
RHB
OFFLEG
1W
  • FTFULL TOSS
  • YYORKER
  • FFULL LENGTH
  • GGOOD LENGTH
  • SGSHORT OF GOOD LENGTH
  • SSHORT LENGTH
LHB
LEGOFF
1W
1W

Match Details

Toss

New Zealand , elected to field first

Player Of The Match

Match number

Season

Hours of play (local time)

10.30 start, First Session 10.30-14.00, Interval 14.00-14.30, Second Session 14.30-18.00

Match days

28 October 2023 (50-over match)

TV Umpires

Reserve Umpire

Match Referee

Points

Australia 2, New Zealand 0

Scorer: Chandan Duorah | Commentator: Shashwat Kumar

END OF OVER:
50 | 13 Runs 1 Wkt | NZ: 383/9 (6 runs required, RR: 7.66)

  • Lockie Ferguson0 (1b)
  • Trent Boult10 (8b)
  • Mitchell Starc9-0-89-0
  • Josh Hazlewood9-0-70-2

6:48pm Right. If anyone ever asked you what a see-saw World Cup contest looked like, this would be it. Australia, at the half-way point, seemed way ahead in the contest. Until...they were not. And credit for that must be given to New Zealand and for the way they kept coming at them. It was not enough in the end and while this loss might sting, having come so close, it will infuse confidence into the NZ camp - confidence that they can fashion winning situations from improbable circumstances.

It was a pleasure bringing this game to you, and we hope you enjoyed our coverage. A few hundred miles away, in Kolkata, the Dutch are slugging it out against Bangladesh, do hop over for some more sizzling Saturday action. Until next time, from me, Alex, Chandan and Venkat Raghav, this is goodbye!

Pat Cummins, Australia captain: (On the game in general) That was awesome. Sometimes I have to remember I was on the field. They kept coming at us. It was fantastic. (On the opening partnership) I loved that, especially from Trav, who has been away. That is how we want to play, take the game on and they led the way. (On the bowling display) It was a good wicket. I thought, in patches, we bowled really well. Other times, we gave too much width away. Some really good partnerships that were tough to get into. (On the fielding effort) Marnus out there, throwing himself around at the end. Not the easiest fielding grounds here but the boys threw themselves around. We have a few days' break. Will enjoy this one and then get stuck in (for the next game).

Tom Latham, New Zealand captain: (On his thoughts on the game) Fantastic game of cricket. Ebbs and flows throughout. To come so close, obviously it hurts. They played fantastically well and put us on the back foot from the start. He bowled fantastically to come and bowl ten overs for 30 and take three wickets, at crucial times. To bowl his full ten from one end was great and his work is paying off. (On the run-chase) When you are chasing close to 400, you have to play the perfect game. Young and Dev (Conway) got us off to a good start. Rachin played an extraordinary knock - one of the better knocks you will see. (On playing in Dharamsala) Great place to play, really special place to be in. (On the Rugby World Cup final) Just want to say all the best to the All Blacks and hopefully they can bring the World Cup home.

Travis Head, Player of the Match: (On how he is feeling) Nice to be back, nice to be contributing. Very close (game) in the end. Was a hell of a game. (On his preparation) Only had a couple of hits. Little bit like the WTC, where I had a few weeks off. Have a few bruises that I can definitely strap up over the next couple of days. (On the partnership with Warner) Think we play together really well. Complement each other well. We try to stay connected with each other, stay in the moment and we want to be as positive as we can.

6:30pm Phew, what a game and it will take everyone (including me) who watched this game a minute or two to regain their breath. New Zealand were in it. They were in it right until the end. And that, in itself, tells a story because they were chasing down 389. What hurt them, though, is the way they kept losing wickets when they seemed poised to cash in and when a partnership was going strong.

Take nothing away, however, from Rachin Ravindra, who, almost single-handedly, brought New Zealand to the brink of an improbable win. Mitchell also notched up a half-century and don't forget Neesham's heroics that almost propelled the Kiwis to a victory. But as the dust settles, they would rue the fact that none of the other batters supported Ravindra as much as they would have liked through the middle.

Australia, on the other hand, will be relieved more than anything else, especially having gotten 388 in the first innings. Hazlewood and Zampa looked the most penetrative with the ball, and for a while, it seemed that their decision to not bowl out Hazlewood would come back to bite them. In the end, they just had enough runs on the board, and their ability to keep picking wickets throughout the innings served them well.

49.6
0
Starc to Ferguson, no run, Starc holds his nerve, and Australia win by five runs! What a game of cricket this has been, and in the end, the Australians did just enough to scrape through! This was again on a fullish length on off. Ferguson threw his hands at it but drilled it straight to the fielder in the ring at cover. Hugs and embraces all around the Australian dressing room and among the players. They will feel relieved to have gotten two points here, and they have now won four on the bounce; New Zealand, meanwhile, have now lost two on the spin!

Ferguson on strike. Six runs needed. A six will do the trick for NZ. Anything else, and Australia will be home

49.5
W
Starc to Neesham, 1 run, OUT, Neesham has been run out trying to get back on strike. More drama in Dharamsala! Thigh-high full toss on leg stump. Neesham tries to hit it too hard and shanks it. Labuschagne hurtles in off the fence, collects cleanly and fires it accurately enough at the batter's end. Neesham puts in the dive but to no avail. A yard or two short of his ground, and he will be devastated. Nine times out of ten, he would have hit that full toss into the mountains. Today was the one aberration!

JDS Neesham run out 58 (64m 39b 3x4 3x6) SR: 148.71

7 off 2 now

49.4
2
Starc to Neesham, 2 runs, excellent fielding at deep mid wicket! In the slot on middle and off. Neesham has a mow at it and muscles it towards deep mid wicket. Labuschagne scampers to his left, puts in the dive and saves two

9 off 3 now. Neesham needs a boundary, right about now. Long off, long on, deep mid wicket and deep square leg on the fence

49.3
2
Starc to Neesham, 2 runs, drills it straight, but gets just a brace! Very full on off stump. Neesham smashes it back past the bowler. Beats mid off but long on is very straight. Cuts it off and keeps it to two

11 off 4. One six here, and they are probably ahead of the game

49.2
2
Starc to Neesham, 2 runs, very full on middle and leg. Neesham clears his front leg and heaves it towards deep mid wicket. Tears back for the second and makes it comfortably

13 off 5 now

49.2
5w
Starc to Neesham, 5 wides, oh dear! You have got to be kidding me! Goes for the leg-stump yorker but this goes awfully wrong. Tails down the leg side and the keeper cannot get to it either

18 off 5. Neesham needs a boundary early in this over to make Starc feel the pinch

New Zealand 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st61DP ConwayWA Young
2nd11WA YoungR Ravindra
3rd96DJ MitchellR Ravindra
4th54TWM LathamR Ravindra
5th43GD PhillipsR Ravindra
6th28JDS NeeshamR Ravindra
7th27JDS NeeshamMJ Santner
8th26JDS NeeshamMJ Henry
9th37TA BoultJDS Neesham
10th0TA BoultLH Ferguson