If New Zealand captain Kane Williamson was asked to come up with a dream scenario in the middle of his sleep before the fourth one-day international against India, he wouldn’t have even imagined saying 55/8 after 20 overs.
But that was what the reality was as Trent Boult ripped through the Indian batting line-up with a five-wicket haul.
The New Zealand fast bowler was unplayable as he bowled 10 overs on the trot to finish with figures of 5/21. Add to that the fact 12 runs came in one over, then you begin to understand how good he was after Williamson won the toss and opted to bowl first.
Boult, who was seen using ice-packs on his necks during the opening spell because of the searing heat and humidity in Hamilton, breathed fire as he got the ball to swing at will.
With his five-wicket haul, Boult equalled the record for most number of five-wicket hauls by a New Zealand cricketer.
“Nice to see the ball swinging around like that, probably didn’t see the innings unfold that way. When you get conditions like that, you want to make pretty good use of it. Nice to put pressure on the visitors,” Boult said after the innings.
Most 5-fors for New Zealand in ODIs:
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) January 31, 2019
5 - Richard Hadlee
5 - TRENT BOULT*
4 - Shane Bond #NZvIND
India were eventually bowled for 92 in the 31st over.
Here are some statistics from Boult’s spell:
Best figures for NZ vs India (ODIs):
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) January 31, 2019
6/19 S Bond, Bulawayo, 2005
5/21 T BOULT, Hamilton, 2019 *
5/22 A Adams, Queenstown, 2003
5/23 R Collinge, Christchurch, 1976
5/26 J Oram, Auckland, 2002#NZvIND https://t.co/GcPs6oMPMo
Least runs added by Indian No.3-No.6 batsmen in an ODI innings: (All dismissed)
— Umang Pabari (@UPStatsman) January 31, 2019
6 v Australia, Centurion, 2003
10 v Australia, Nottingham, 1983
10 v Australia, Baroda, 2007
10 v New Zealand, Hamilton, 2019*
12 v Australia, Sydney, 2004 #NZvIND
5 - Trent Boult has become just the seventh @BLACKCAPS player to take a five-wicket haul against India in an ODI; only once in the history of the format has a New Zealander taken more wickets against India than Boult has today (6/23 - Shane Bond in August 2005). Pace.#NZvIND pic.twitter.com/7Ucznbxw4h
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) January 31, 2019
Fewest ODIs to 100 wkts in a country:
— Deepu Narayanan (@deeputalks) January 31, 2019
49 TRENT BOULT - NZ
53 Waqar Younis - UAE
56 G McGrath/Brett Lee - Aus
60 S Pollock - SA
61 M Ntini - SA
62 Wasim Akram - UAE/ S Warne - Aus#NZvIND
92 - The @BLACKCAPS have dismissed India for fewer than 100 runs in an ODI for the second time in the last decade - no other team has managed to do so even once in this period. Submit.#NZvIND
— OptaJason (@OptaJason) January 31, 2019