India vs New Zealand, World Cup 2019: Ravindra Jadeja lends semblance of respectability to lost cause as India bow out

MANCHESTER: The stars failed when it mattered the most as India's World Cup hopes died a painful death at a gloomy Old Trafford on Wednesday.
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India did find an unlikely hero in Ravindra Jadeja who took the team to the doorstep of victory but failed to unlock the door.
The 18-run loss in the semifinal to New Zealand will haunt Virat Kohli and Co for a long, long time. The captain put up a brave front at the post-match media interaction, saying, "We're sad but not devastated." But he also said that "45 minutes of bad cricket undid the great work the team had done at the World Cup." If this is not devastating, then what is.

The match was theirs to lose after New Zealand were restricted to 239 when the match recommenced on Wednesday after rain had forced it to be halted on Tuesday.But a spell of top-class seam bowling, some tame batting and simple bad luck colluded to knock India out of the tournament.
On a difficult batting pitch, India needed either Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli to guide the chase. But the big guns were back in the hut by the third over. KL Rahul and Dinesh Karthik joined them soon to make it 24 for four by the 10th over.
It was all but over for India. The brave Jadeja had other ideas and played what was his greatest knock in an India shirt to galvanize the arena and raise hopes. With his mentor MS Dhoni at the other end, it looked that India might after all claim an epic comeback win.
With 37 required off the last three overs, and Jadeja on the charge, Trent Boult came in for his final over. It was going to be the decisive battle - Jadeja vs Boult. The Kiwi paceman won the day with his accuracy as Jadeja's attempt to launch him into the stands resulted in a skier which landed in the safe hands of skipper Kane Williamson.
Indian fans in the stands consoled each other, tears welled up in the eyes of many. This is not what they had bargained for. But then, this is cricket. The team which played the better cricket on the day, won. The powerhouse team which was supposed to win and maybe take the title too, was done in by technical ineptitude and an opponent who did not give up.
Boult was supposed to be the dangerman for India and he played his role to perfection. But New Zealand found another hero in paceman Matt Henry whose three-wicket burst in the Powerplay proved a gamechanger.
Henry's biggest scalp was Sharma who was dismissed by a peach of a delivery, which opened up the batsman and took the edge on way to the wicketkeeper.
With Boult bowling with the new ball, the most likely mode of dismissal was always going to be leg-before as he is a master of bringing the ball into the righthander. He did exactly that and Kohli fell prey to it.
Rahul fell to a ball he could have left alone. Karthik suffered a typical dismissal - playing away from body. A hard push with an angled bat and the ball flew towards point. It was instinct which led to his downfall, a diving James Neesham taking a brilliant one-handed catch.
It would have been five down very soon but Rishabh Pant got a reprieve on the first ball he faced, Neesham dropping him at short mid-wicket.
It seemed that Pant would make good the life as he and Pandya stitched together a repair job. But having looked good in making 32 of 56 balls, Pant played a mindless stroke to hole out to deep mid-wicket.
Pandya also went the same way - showing restraint for a while before going for glory and getting caught off Mitchell Santner. At 92 for six, all hopes had evaporated but Jadeja (77, 59 balls, 4x4, 4x6) brought life back into the match with authentic and enterprising strokeplay. He sized up the situation before opening his arms to great effect. Each of his boundary hits was greeted with a deafening roar as the crowd saw a savior in him. Sadly, his fight ended before the battle could be won. And with him, went India's hopes.
Dhoni played the supporting part in the 116-run stand with Jadeja. Pity, his last World Cup game had to end in a defeat.