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Dharamsala: India defeated New Zealand by six wickets in the first One-Day International (ODI) at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) Stadium Dharamsala on Sunday.
Virat Kohli (85 not out) and Ajinkya Rahane (33) were the top-scorers while Manish Pandey and skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni contributed with 17 and 21 runs respectively.
Kohli walked out to bat with the scoreboard reading 49/1. Rohit Sharma had just walked back after missing the big heave and soon Ajinkya Rahane was out caught-behind, and India were reduced to 62/2.
Kohli applied himself with Manish Pandey, who came out to bat at no.4, and ran most of his first fifty runs. There was no desperate search of boundaries by India’s champion chaser and he went about doing business with ease, in singles.
Pandey didn’t last long and was dismissed off a loose Ish Sodhi delivery and India’s sprinters were reunited.
MS Dhoni walked out and was off the blocks as soon as he scratched the popping crease. The two were chasing the modest target in singles before a mix-up led to India’s ODI captain’s departure.
Kohli opened up a bit after scoring fifty and found the odd boundary to finish the chase in a hurry. In his nine hits to the ropes, the cover-driving was at its best. He would get the big stride forward and make sweet connection, with even better follow-through of the blade.
The right-hander was happy to convert and his front-foot pull off Southee was a treat to watch.
Definitely rolled back a couple of years, and brought back memories of India’s Test series in Australia where Kohli pulled for a living.
For the visitors, Douge Bracewell, James Neesham and Ish Sodhi took one wicket each.
Earlier, Tom Latham and Tim Southee scored half-centuries to rescue New Zealand from a precarious 106-8 and helped them put on 190 runs.
Latham scored 79 not out from 98 deliveries, hitting seven fours and one six. He became the first New Zealand opener and tenth overall in ODI cricket history to carry his bat through the innings. Southee scored 55 off 45 balls, including six fours and three sixes, for his maiden ODI half-century.
The Black Caps earlier had been reduced to 65-7. Debutant Hardik Pandya (3-31) caused mayhem in his opening spell, dismissing Martin Guptill (12), Corey Anderson (4) and Luk Ronchi (0).
Guptill was caught at second slip, while Anderson and Ronchi were caught at mid-off and mid-on respectively, trying to clear the infield.
At the other end, Umesh Yadav (2-31) removed Kane Williamson (3) and Ross Taylor (0) off successive deliveries.
Only Guptill and Taylor got out to good deliveries and the remaining New Zealand batsmen were guilty of playing loose shots. Kedar Jadhav (2-6) added to their misery when he dismissed James Neesham (10) and Mitchell Santner (0) off consecutive balls in the 19th over.
Latham then added 41 runs with Doug Bracewell (15), and completed his fifth ODI half-century off 77 balls. Their partnership spanned 13.1 overs. Ajinkya Rahane caught Bracewell at midwicket off Amit Mishra (3-49).
Southee played the rescue act and his partnership with Latham helped New Zealand cross the 150-mark in the 39th over.
Yadav dropped Southee on 2 not out off Jasprit Bumrah (0-29) in the 35th over. Thereafter he hit six sixes and three fours to complete his maiden ODI half-century off 40 balls. He was finally caught in the deep off Mishra, who also trapped Ish Sodhi (1) lbw to end the innings in the 44th over.
Brief scores
New Zealand - 190 (Latham 79*, Southee 55, Pandya 3-31, Mishra 3-49)
India - 194 for 4 (Kohi 85*)
Result - India won by 6 wickets
