India physio Farhat thanks BCCI on last day at work

Manchester, July 11 (IANS) Indian cricket team physiotherapist Patrick Farhat wished the team and thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their support on his last day at work, after India's 18-run loss to New Zealand in the semifinal here on Wednesday.

"Whilst my last day with the team did not turn out as I wanted it to, I would like to thank @BCCI for the opportunity to work with the team for the last 4 years. My best wishes to all of the players and support staff for the future," Farhat said in a tweet.

The Australian joined the team in 2015 with almost three decades of professional experience.

Tournament favourites India lost to the Kiwis after restricting them to 239/8 in the rain-hit semifinal played over two days.

Indian batters were undone by Matt Henry's brilliant opening spell as he returned figures of 3/37. Ravindra Jadeja (77) and M.S. Dhoni (50) shared a 116-run stand for the seventh wicket, but in the end that proved to be not enough, especially after Dhoni was caught short of crease by a brilliant direct hit by Martin Guptill.

Forty-five minutes of bad cricket puts you out of the tournament. Difficult to take it -- but New Zealand deserve it. Our shot selection could have been better, but we played good cricket throughout. New Zealand were braver in crunch situations and they deserve it," Kohli said at the presentation ceremony, referring to the period in which India lost four top-order batsmen, including Rohit Sharma and Kohli, inside 10 overs.

Before the semis, India were in rampaging form, winning their seven of the eight group games played with the one against New Zealand washed out. Kohli and Co. only lost to fellow favourites and hosts England en route to the knockouts, finishing top of the ten-team points table.