Varun Chakaravarthy Wicket: Varun Chakaravarthy made an immediate impact on his return to India’s playing XI in the fifth T20I against New Zealand, dismissing Daryl Mitchell with the help of a sensational diving catch by Abhishek Sharma at long-off.
Mitchell departed for 29 off 16 balls after smashing four sixes, giving India a crucial breakthrough during New Zealand’s chase at Seddon Park in Hamilton.
The dismissal came in the ninth over when Mitchell attempted to attack a full delivery from Chakaravarthy but failed to get enough power behind the shot. Abhishek ran in from long-off and plunged forward to complete a superb two-handed catch, keeping his fingers underneath the ball. The umpires checked the catch before confirming Mitchell’s dismissal, prompting celebrations from Chakaravarthy and his teammates.
Abhishek Sharma’s Stunning Catch Sends Daryl Mitchell Back
The key moment unfolded at 8.3 overs when Chakaravarthy bowled a full delivery in the slot. Mitchell looked to clear the boundary but could not connect cleanly, sending the ball towards long-off.
Abhishek judged the ball well, charged forward and dived to complete the catch just above the ground. The effort was particularly impressive because the ball appeared to be dropping in front of him, making the timing and execution crucial. The umpires took another look before confirming the wicket.
Mitchell’s dismissal ended a 73-run partnership off 42 balls with Tim Seifert for the second wicket. The New Zealand batter had struck four sixes in his 16-ball stay, while Seifert continued to lead the chase with an aggressive half-century.
Varun Chakaravarthy Makes Impact On Return
Chakaravarthy was playing his first match of the five-T20I series after being on the bench for the opening four games. He came into the playing XI in place of Axar Patel, who missed the fifth T20I.
At the time of writing, Chakaravarthy had taken one wicket for 14 runs in two overs, maintaining an economy rate of 7.00. He had conceded one wide and bowled four dot balls, while also testing the New Zealand batters with variations in pace, length and turn.
Mitchell had managed a six off Chakaravarthy earlier in the spell, advancing down the pitch and flicking a delivery over long-on. The spinner responded by getting the New Zealand batter to miscue another attacking shot, with Abhishek completing the catch.
Chakaravarthy also troubled Seifert and Glenn Phillips with his variations. His breakthrough was especially important as New Zealand had raced to 82/2 in 8.3 overs.
New Zealand Chase 192-Run Target Against India
India posted 191/8 in their 20 overs after Ishan Kishan smashed 61 off 32 balls and captain Shreyas Iyer scored 50 off 23. Naman Dhir added 33 off 23 deliveries, while Nitish Kumar Reddy contributed 22 off 17.
Adam Milne led New Zealand’s bowling effort with four wickets for 19 runs, while Nathan Smith and Blair Tickner claimed two wickets apiece.
At the time of writing, New Zealand were 120/2 after 12 overs, needing 72 runs from the final 48 balls to reach the target of 192. Tim Seifert was unbeaten on 74 off 42 deliveries, while Glenn Phillips was batting on 10 off 11. Arshdeep Singh had taken the other New Zealand wicket, dismissing Finn Allen for two.
With Seifert well set and Phillips at the crease, Chakaravarthy’s breakthrough gave India an opportunity to build pressure during the middle overs. Abhishek’s outstanding catch ensured that Mitchell’s aggressive innings came to an end and provided one of the standout moments of the chase.