New Zealand's 3 highest wicket-takers vs India in ODI World Cups ft. Sir Richard Hadlee
India take on New Zealand at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on Sunday in a clash that is billed to be one of the most consequential in the ongoing ICC Men's ODI World Cup.
The Men in Blue will hope that they can carry on from where they left off against Bangladesh in Pune on Thursday, while the Kiwis will be keen on not making the same mistakes that they did against Afghanistan in Chennai on Wednesday.
Both these teams are unbeaten at the moment having played four games each. New Zealand are at the top of the table owing to a slightly better net run rate than the hosts, who are placed second.
As much as we speak of limited-overs cricket turning into a batter's game, for either side to come out trumps on Sunday, their bowlers have to be in the business. If the bowlers manage to make good use of the conditions on offer in Dharamsala, we will have a terrific game of cricket on offer.
The Kiwi bowlers, strangely, have rarely managed to get the better of Indian batters, and this is an advantage that has been carried by the Men in Blue ever since the World Cup was introduced in 1975. Rohit Sharma and Co will be hoping to bank on the same on Sunday as well.
In this listicle, we bring to you the top three wicket-takers for New Zealand against India in the history of the World Cup:
#1. Brian McKechnie
Brian McKechnie tops the list for the Kiwis who have taken the most number of wickets against India in World Cups. The seamer picked up six wickets in the two matches that he played against the Men in Blue in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups respectively.
McKechnie is perhaps most famously known for being the recipient of Trevor Chappell's infamous underhand delivery at the MCG in 1980-81. However, there was a lot more to the man than just that.
McKechnie also represented the Kiwis in rugby, earning himself the moniker of a 'Double All-Black.' He was perhaps amongst the last of a generation who represented his nation at the international level in two sports.
#2. Dipak Patel
Dipak Patel, perhaps best known to be the late Martin Crowe's acolyte when the latter chose to open the bowling with him in the 1992 World Cup, comes second on this list.
The off-spinner, who was born in Kenya, took five wickets against the Men in Blue in the three matches he played against them in the 1987 and 1992 World Cups.
Patel was also one of the first bowling all-rounders of his generation and ended up making quite a name for himself in the world. He ended up with 45 wickets to his name in ODIs and could chip in a rather handy manner with the bat whenever the occasion arose.
#3. Sir Richard Hadlee
Sir Richard Hadlee, perhaps the greatest Kiwi to have graced a cricket field, comes third on this list. He played in just two matches against India, in the 1975 and 1979 World Cups respectively, and picked up a total of four wickets in them.
Arguably the greatest fast-bowling all-rounder to have come out of Down Under, Sir Richard was a magician with both bat and ball. He picked up a whopping 431 wickets in Test cricket and was also responsible for 158 scalps in One-Day Internationals at a time when the latter was seen as a consolation prize at best.
There is hardly any cricketer in the world who is as synonymous with his country - or who carried its fortunes upon its shoulders - as the legendary Sir Richard Hadlee was. His career was characterized by the utmost integrity and dignity.