Twitter Amused as NZ Assistant Coach Forced to Field as Substitute

New Zealand assistant coach Luke Ronchi is forced to field for the team with players out due to illnesses.

(Photo: Twitter)

New Zealand have won the ODI series against India with the visitors struggling to get to the 274-run target in the second one-dayer at Auckland.

While the Kiwi bowlers picked wickets at regular intervals to keep them on top of the fixture, there was however a little room for comedy as well with the assistant coach being forced to come out and field for the home team.

Luke Ronchi, who last played for New Zealand in 2017, was forced to come out as a fielding during the Indian chase. New Zealand were without a number of their frontline players, including captain Kane Williamson, in the second ODI which meant that they had hardly any players in the dressing room to use as a substitute fielder.

It meant that when the need arose in the 37th over, Ronchi had to put on the playing jersey and walk on to the pitch. He also had a small role to play two overs later when Navdeep Saini punched the ball to mid-on where Ronchi was standing.

Apart from the long term injuries to frontline pacers Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson, New Zealand have been without Williamson since the fourth T20I. While Fast bowler Scott Kugeleijn is down with a flu while all rounder Mitchell Santner caught a stomach bug.

Twitter, of course, was quick to spot the 'new’ substitute and pointed out the change.