Yuzvendra Chahal, India’s best spinners in the limited-overs format, on Thursday, exchanged the leather for the willow and top-scored with the bat for India on a day when the rest of the batsmen failed to deliver.
The spinner played a knock of 18 runs off 37 balls in the 4th ODI between India and New Zealand to script a unique record by becoming the only second batsman to top score in a match for India while batting at the number 10 or a lower position. His unbeaten 18 is second to only Javagal Srinath’s 43 against Pakistan in 1996 which came while batting at number 10.
Chahal came out to bat at number ten and combined with Kuldeep (15) to post a 35-run stand for the ninth wicket bailing out India from an embarrassing situation. However, despite his best of efforts India could only manage to post a dismal 92 runs on the board in 30.5 overs after Trent Boult’s destructive spell of 21/5 in ten overs.
