The scenes that followed in the New Zealand dressing room after the side beat India in the 2019 World Cup remains James Neesham's favourite memory from the tournament.
New Zealand all-rounder James Neesham said that the favourite memory from his cricket career was sitting with his teammates after the semifinal against India in the 2019 World Cup.
"Sitting in the changing room with the guys after the semi-final against India," Neesham said, answering fans' question through his Indian Premier League (IPL) side Kings XI Punjab's Twitter handle.
New Zealand defeated India by 18 runs in the semifinal, which was a two-day affair due to rain in Manchester. After India restricted New Zealand to 239, their batting order collapsed - courtesy impressive bowling from pacers Trent Boult and Matt Henry.
The partnership between Ravindra Jadeja and MS Dhoni ignited hope for Indian fans after the side was reduced to 92/6, but the duo fell in quick succession towards the end of the innings. While Jadeja scored 77, Dhoni was run-out with a spectacular direct-hit from Martin Guptill on 50. India were eventually bowled out on 221.
The game also turned out to be MS Dhoni's last international outing since. His future in the Indian team is still under speculations, with India's head coach Ravi Shastri suggesting that Dhoni's performances in the IPL could be the defining factor for his international career. The IPL currently stands postponed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic.
During the interaction, Neesham also had a cheeky comment on the moment when the ball deflected off Ben Stokes' bat and went for a boundary during the final of the 2019 World Cup. The overthrow resulted in six runs.
When asked what would he have done if he were the umpire in that situation, Neesham funnily said, "Minus 50 runs."
