Napier: India produced cricket of the calibre that has become synonymous with Virat Kohli’s men to crush New Zealand in the first ODI but a bizarre and unprecedented sun-induced interruption overshadowed the on-field action, here Wednesday.
India signalled their intent with a clinical display, which saw them chase down a revised target of 156 by eight wickets in 34.5 overs. The Duckworth-Lewis (D/L) method came into the picture for an interruption which was not caused by rain for the first time. India thus took a 1-0 lead in the five-game series.
On a near-perfect day, the only thing that didn’t go their way was the toss. But India made light of that by bowling out the home team for a paltry 157 in 38 overs.
Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav (4/39) was the most successful bowler, while seamer Mohammed Shami (3/19) finished with excellent figures. Yuzvendra Chahal (2/43) and Kedar Jadhav (1/17) accounted for the other wickets to ball. Captain Kane Williamson (64, 81b, 7×4) top-scored for the hosts while wickets fell regularly at the other end.
In response, Shikhar Dhawan (75 n o, 103b , 6×4) began the innings with a flurry of boundaries to help India cruise to the target. This was welcome return to form for the left-hander who hadn’t got a half century for the last nine games.
India were comfortably placed at 44 for one when, in a bizarre turn of events, players walked off the ground after dinner because the setting sun made it difficult for them to spot the ball at McLean park. This led to an interruption that has never been seen in international cricket before.
Because of the nearly half-an-hour delay, the target was revised to 156 in 49 overs, which the visitors chased without much ado.
Kohli (45, 59b, 3×4) and Dhawan didn’t let the sun-induced stoppage distract their minds when play resumed. Kohli, though, got out five short of a fifty.
In the course of his 26th ODI fifty, Dhawan became the joint fourth fastest batsman to reach 5,000 runs. Dhawan needed 118 innings to reach the mark.
Earlier, opting to bat, the New Zealanders were off to an inauspicious start, losing both openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro within the first five overs with just 18 runs on the board.
By sending back Guptill in his 56th match, the 28-year-old Shami became the fastest Indian to reach 100 wickets in ODIs.
Ross Taylor (24) threatened a bit, but he was brilliantly caught and bowled by Chahal, who lured the batsman to dance down the pitch a tad too early with his change of pace. Tom Latham was dismissed in similar fashion, with leg-spinner Chahal being the bowler.
Henry Nicholls and Mitchell Santner came, swung their willows for a six and a couple of boundaries, and got out to Jadhav and Shami respectively as New Zealand stuttered at 133 for six in the 30th over.
New Zealand: Martin Guptill b Shami 5, Colin Munro b Shami 8, Kane Williamson c Vijay Shankar b Kuldeep 64, Ross Taylor c & b Chahal 24, Tom Latham c & b Chahal 11, Henry Nicholls c Kuldeep b Kedar Jadhav 12, Mitchell Santner lbw b Shami 14, Doug Bracewell b Kuldeep 7, Tim Southee n o 9, Lockie Ferguson st Dhoni b Kuldeep 0, Trent Boult c Rohit b Kuldeep 1, Extras: (w-2) 2, Total: (all out in 38 overs) 157.
Fall: 1/5, 2/18, 3/52, 4/76, 5/107, 6/133, 7/146, 8/146, 9/148, 10/157.
Bowling: Bhuvneshwar Kumar 5-0-20-0, Mohammed Shami 6-2-19-3, Vijay Shankar 4-0-19-0, Yuzvendra Chahal 10-0-43-2, Kuldeep Yadav 10-1-39-4, Kedar Jadhav 3-0-17-1.
India: Rohit Sharma c Guptill b Bracewell 11, Shikhar Dhawan n o 75, Virat Kohli c Latham b Ferguson 45, Ambati Rayudu n o 13, Extras: (lb-5,w-7) 12, Total: (for 2 wickets in 34.5 overs) 156.
Fall: 1/41, 2/132.
Bowling: Trent Boult 6-1-19-0, Tim Southee 6.5-0-36-0, Lockie Ferguson 8-0-41-1, Doug Bracewell 7-0-23-1, Mitchell Santner 7-0-32-0.
PTI