When Direct Throw From Martin Guptill Gets Better of MS Dhoni And Knocked India Out Of 2019 World Cup

After New Zealand was confirmed to be India’s opponent in the World Cup semi-finals, a nightmarish memory from the 2019 edition certainly popped up in the minds of the fans in blue. It was a rocket-like throw from Martin Guptill that trapped MS Dhoni marginally out of the white line. When a dejected Dhoni walked back to the Old Trafford pavilion, India were still 24 runs behind the 240-run target with only 9 balls in hand. The former Indian captain was the only hope for the Men in Blue at that moment and his wicket turned no doubt out to be a game-changer. Yuzvendra Chahal, who came in to bat next, slammed a boundary off the first ball. However, India ultimately fell 18 runs short of the required score.

Similar to the ongoing World Cup, India had showcased their dominance during the round-robin stage four years back in England. The Virat Kohli-led side won seven of their nine league fixtures after one match was washed out due to bad weather. Considering their performance in the initial stage of the tournament, India were tipped to be one of the major contenders for the title. The scenario, however, was completely different in the semi-final.

New Zealand’s frontline pacers– Trent Boult and Matt Henry– brought the Indian top order down to their knees, with KL Rahul, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli each returning with one run. Rishabh Pant and Hardik Pandya tried to pull India out of the situation. But the duo failed to stay longer at the crease. When MS Dhoni took over the charge, India were reeling at a score of 92, losing 6 wickets.

Dhoni stitched an inning-reviving 116-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja, sparking hopes for a comeback win. Both of them showed their mettle and kept the scoreboard ticking with occasional boundaries. Jadeja got dismissed owing to a poor shot selection after scoring 77 runs off 54 deliveries. His knock was laced with four boundaries and as many sixes.

Following the departure of Jadeja, Dhoni had to become more composed. He reached the half-century in 72 balls, with the knock comprising one boundary and a maximum. When 31 runs were needed in the last two overs, Dhoni decided to free his arms. He whacked a giant six off Lockie Ferguson.

In the third delivery of the same over, Dhoni took a quick single and attempted a second to keep the strike. Before he could complete the second run, Martin Guptill launched a bullet throw, which directly hit the stumps at the batter’s end. After giving it a second check, the third umpire gave his decision in New Zealand’s favour.

India will eye sweet revenge for the heartbreaking defeat when the rematch of the 2019 semi-final takes place at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on November 15.