Top 5 ODI knocks by New Zealand batsmen in India

#5 James Franklin 98* (Bengaluru 2010)

James Franklin failed to live up to the expectations but had his moments

New Zealand’s tour of India in 2010 was an unforgettable nightmare for the Kiwi fans as the Black Caps were thrashed 0-5 in the ODI series. Throughout the series, the Black Caps succumbed to crushing defeats and James Franklin’s batting was one of the few bright spots for them.

At the international level, Franklin started off with good promise but failed to live up to the expectations. However, Franklin was at his aggressive best in this series with the willow.

Having beaten the Black Caps in the first three matches convincingly, the Indian young brigade was marching inexorably towards a clean-sweep when they were struck by Franklin’s hurricane knock in the fourth ODI. Franklin was unlucky to miss the century mark by a small margin of two runs.

In a brutal assault on the Indian bowlers, Franklin struck 12 fours and 3 sixes and plundered 98 runs off a mere 69 balls at a jaw-dropping Strike Rate of 142. He took the Kiwis past the 300 run mark and raised serious hopes of a first Kiwi victory in the series.

However, all the Kiwi hopes died a gory death when Yusuf Pathan blitzed a 96 ball 123 steering India to victory from a precarious position.