India vs Australia | MS Dhoni played a hell of an innings, says Nathan Coulter-Nile

03/03/2019

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After India’s six-wicket win against the Aussies in Hyderabad yesterday, Nathan Coulter-Nile has said that it was a hell of an innings played by MS Dhoni. The Aussie pacer has also added that the game was a competitive one and the rest of the matches in the series will be tighter.

Chasing 237 to win against Australia in the first ODI, the Indians were in a spot of bother with the scorecard reading 99/4 at one stage of the game. However, it was a sensible stand for the fifth wicket between MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav that changed the complexion of the game as the unbeaten stand help India win the game by six wickets and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Dhoni remained calm in the run-chase as he scored 59 runs off 72 deliveries while Jadhav was the top-scorer for the Men in Blue with 81* to his name.

Coulter-Nile praised the Indian wicketkeeper during the press conference for the knock that he played against them in Saturday’s encounter.

“Some things didn’t go our way. MS chipped the ball right in front of the fielders a couple of times but he played a hell of an innings. Credit to India for batting really well,” Coulter-Nile said journalists after the first ODI, reported CricketNext.

“India are 1-0 up in the series so they’ve got the upper hand, but I think it was a really closely fought game. We played well, they played better in the end, but the teams were close and the next four games should be even tighter.”

Australia had lost only one wicket till the 20th over after losing skipper Aaron Finch in the second over of the match. But, the Indian spinners looked quite effective in the middle overs which helped the hosts restrict the Aussies for only 236 at the end of the first half yesterday. Coulter-Nile heaped praise on leggie Adam Zampa for his effectiveness with the ball and also mentioned about Stoinis’ batting at the top-order.

“Zamps (Zampa) bowled well and got a couple of big wickets for us, but it’s just some things that didn’t go our way. I thought Stoinis up top was fantastic, he batted really beautifully, played within himself and was probably a bit unlucky to get out the way he did,” the pacer explained.

“Shaun Marsh will come back from the sidelines though at some point so how that restructures our batting line-up, I’m not quite sure, so that’s one for the coaches (to decide). But our boys are too good to be going through dry spells for long like Finchie (Aaron Finch).”

Speaking about the Indian bowling attack, Coulter-Nile said, “I think Shami is a fantastic bowler. I think he’s quality everywhere he bowls. It was really hard to get his Yorkers away towards the end of the innings. We know he’s a quality bowler just like the rest of the Indian bowlers.”

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