"Kyun Hila Daala Na"- Top 10 Michael Bracewell memes after he gave a mighty scare to India in 1st ODI with his 140 off 78
New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell (140 off 78 balls) played an astonishing knock against Team India in the first ODI, but it unfortunately ended in vain.
The hosts overcame Bracewell's stunning assault and edged the Kiwis' side by 12 runs in the final over of the chase to win the contest on Wednesday, January 18, at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad.
Team India batted first in the match and amassed a huge total of 349/8 in 50 overs, courtesy of a double hundred from Shubman Gill (208).
In reply, New Zealand got off to a poor start as they lost opener Devon Conway (10) cheaply after a sedate start. Finn Allen (40) tried to salvage the situation with a flurry of boundaries against Hardik Pandya. Shardul Thakur came on and dismissed him, applying brakes to the acceleration.
The Kiwis' side lost the plot from there and collapsed to 131/6. With all the frontline batters back in the dugout, the future looked glum for them. Michael Bracewell (140) produced a stellar counter-attacking knock at this juncture and provided a new lease of life to his sinking team.
Mitchell Santner (57) assisted him perfectly as the duo put in a wonderful rearguard effort to orchestrate a grand comeback. However, Indian bowlers held their nerve and kept their composure to stop the duo's carnage.
Michael Bracewell tried his best until the final over, but his valiant knock came to an end when Shardul Thakur caught him plumb in front of the wickets to dismiss him.
Fans appreciated Michael Bracewell for playing an incredible knock and injecting life into a one-sided contest. They expressed their views by sharing intriguing memes on social media platforms.
Here is a collection of the best memes:
Pic 1: When captain asked Michael Bracewell to take match to last over from 131/6
Pic 2: when he was asked to play last over against Lord Shardul Thakur. https://t.co/L2up98LoBW
Michael Bracewell against Hardik Pandya, Shami, Lord Shardul & other Indian bowlers today and almost winning the match for New Zealand!
Siraj class apart!
#INDvsNZ https://t.co/0XnDqQPsNB
"You've got to back yourself to get 20 off the last over and unfortunately, it wasn't my day today"- Michael Bracewell after losing 1st ODI vs India
Speaking after the conclusion of the match, Michael Bracewell vented his frustration at not finishing the job for his side.
The all-rounder opened up, saying that he would usually back himself to get 20 runs off the final over but unfortunately ended up short at the end of Wednesday night.
He reflected on the chase and said:
"With the reasonably small boundaries here, we knew we could take the game deep and can give ourselves a chance at the end. We were able to do that but we probably left ourselves too many to get to try and have a good crack. You've got to back yourself to get 20 off the last over and unfortunately, it wasn't my day today."
Team India and New Zealand will next meet in the second ODI of the series in Raipur on Saturday, January 21.