Jimmy Neesham almost pulled off a miracle win for New Zealand in a high-scoring clash against Australia as both teams played out an all-time ODI World Cup classic in Dharamsala on Saturday.
But despite a swashbuckling century from Rachin Ravindra and a valiant fifty from Neesham, New Zealand still fell short by 5 runs while chasing a mammoth 389 at the picturesque ground in the foothills of the Himalayas.
Ravindra & Neesham's heroics in vain
Ravindra top-scored with 116 while Neesham made 58 as the Black Caps reached 383 for 9 before running out of deliveries in their full quota of 50 overs.
Playing his first game of the tournament, Neesham took New Zealand to the cusp of an extraordinary comeback victory, only for a brilliant run out to remove him off the penultimate ball of the innings.
Neesham's 2019 tweet resurfaces
His knock was lauded by fans on social media with many users reposting Neesham's tweet after the 2019 World Cup final in which he wrote an emotional message for kids following New Zealand's heartbreaking defeat against England at Lord's.
"Kids don't pick up sport. Take baking or something die at 60 fat and happy," Neesham had wrote on X after New Zealand lost on boundary count despite scoring the same runs as England in the summit clash and the subsequent Super Over that followed. The controversial and bizarre rule was later scrapped by the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).
Head & Warner show in Dharamsala
Ravindra and Neesham's heroics went in vain after Travis Head and David Warner fired Australia to 388, their third successive score of 350-plus in this tournament.
A remarkable opening partnership between David Warner (81 from 65) and the returning Head (109 from 67) got Pat Cummins’ side off to a match-winning total.
This match broke the record for the highest aggregate score in a World Cup ODI with 771 runs, bettering the 754 runs scored in the thriller between South Africa and Sri Lanka in Delhi on October 7.
