New Zealand beat India by 6 runs in a last over thriller. With 10 runs needed in the last over and the last batting pair in the middle, New Zealand were favourites to win the game. Southee castled Bumrah with an unplayable yorker and registered their first win on the tour. The Kiwis won a match on Indian soil after 13 years and created history with their first win at Feroz Shah Kotla, Delhi.
When Umesh Yadav had walked out in the middle to join Hardik Pandya, India needed 60 runs to win from 55 balls. Hardik Pandya and Umesh Yadav scored 49 runs for the ninth wicket and almost saw India through. Before the 49th over began, India needed 16 runs from 12 balls. Pandya struck a boundary and tried to reduce the gap by going for another big shot but was caught in the process by Santner on Boult’s bowling. Pandya scored 36 runs from 32 balls while Yadav contributed remained not out with his vital contribution of 18 runs from 23 balls.
India’s run-chase saw wickets falling at regular intervals. At the score of 21, India lost their first wicket in the form of Rohit Sharma. Sharma departed for 15 from 27 balls as he edged a delivery from Boult and was caught by Ronchi. Indian vice-captain and master of run-chases Virat Kohli was the next wicket to fall. Kohli was on 9 from 12 balls when he edged a wayward delivery from Santner and was caught by Ronchi.
India lost their second opener Ajinkya Rahane who got a start but failed to capitalize on it. Rahane tried to hook a short ball from Southee but mistimed it completely. Anderson completed the catch and Rahane’s innings of 28 runs from 49 balls came to an end. From 72/3 India were 73/4 as Manish Pandey was run out by Santner-Ronchi for 19 runs from 25 balls. A 66-run partnership then blossomed between Kedhar Jadhav and skipper MS Dhoni. Just when it seemed that India had the upper hand in the game, Jadhav was caught by Ronchi on Henry’s bowling. Jadhav’s innings of 41 runs from 37 balls included two fours and two sixes.In the first innings, the middle order of the New Zealand team had failed to capitalize on the start given by skipper Kane Williamson and Tom Latham. After Williamson’s fell at 213 in the 43rd over, the team just added 29 runs. Indian bowlers Mishra and Jasprit Bumrah put a break on New Zealand scoring as both took 3 wickets each. Umesh Yadav and Kedhar Jadhav took a wicket apiece to restrict the Kiwis to 242 in 50 overs.
India’s chances of winning the match were reduced when captain cool MS Dhoni was caught and bowled by Tim Southee. Dhoni contributed 39 runs from 65 balls and failed to see India through. With 172/6, a lot depended on Axar Patel and Hardik Pandya. Patel tried to dispatch a full toss from Martin Guptill but was caught by Santner for 17 runs. Guptill got his second scalp when Amit Mishra tried to slog sweep a delivery from him. Mishra added one run to the total and India were 183/8 in the 41st over.
In the first innings, the middle order of the New Zealand team had failed to capitalize on the start given by skipper Kane Williamson and Tom Latham. After Williamson’s fell at 213 in the 43rd over, the team just added 29 runs. Indian bowlers Mishra and Jasprit Bumrah put a break on New Zealand scoring as both took 3 wickets each. Umesh Yadav and Kedhar Jadhav took a wicket apiece to restrict the Kiwis to 242 in 50 overs.
New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson scored his eighth international century and first against India in ODIs. Williamson’s 118 came off 128 balls as he struck 14 fours and a six in his innings. This was Williamson’s first ton on this tour.
The New Zealand batting looked in a great shape as they came out to play against India in the second ODI at Delhi’s Feroz Shah Kotla stadium. The Kiwis lost their first wicket on the second ball of the match as Martin Guptill failed to judge the line of an out-swinging delivery by Umesh Yadav that cleaned him up.
After the fall of the early wicket, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham steadied the innings. The duo was scoring runs at a considerable pace. They innings was steadied by the duo as Indian bowlers failed to trouble the Kiwis much. At one point, they were scoring at 6 runs per over. The rhythm broke when spinner Kedar Jadhav got Latham out for 46. New Zealand were 120 for 1 in 20 overs. Kane Williamson continued his innings as he scored all around the ground. He and his team were moving towards a big total. Amit Mishra got Ross Taylor out cheaply. Taylor struggled to find form and scored 21 runs from 42 balls before he was caught by Sharma. He fell when the score was 158. Corey Anderson contributed 21 runs from 32 balls before being trapped leg before wicket by Mishra.
Earlier in the day, Dhoni won the toss and chose to bowl. The Indian team went unchanged as Suresh Raina still hasn’t recovered from viral. New Zealand, on the other hand, made three changes as Trent Boult, Matt Henry and Anton Devcich have been included in place of Doug Bracewell, Ish Sodhi and Jimmy Neesham.
