First ODI: India defeat New Zealand by 6 wickets, take 1-0 lead

India chased down the target in 33.1 overs.

This was India's 900th ODI game.

After a brisk start by the openers, the Indian ODI vice-captain capitalised on the situation, hitting nine boundaries and a six in his 81-ball knock.

The Indian opening pair scored 49 runs before Rohit Sharma (14) departed after missing a straight delivery from Doug Bracewell, which hit him on the pads.

Ajinkya Ranahe (33) followed his opening partner after a 13-run partnership with Kohli.

Rahane was instrumental in keeping the run-rate high in the opening overs of the Indian innings.

The Mumbai lad hit four boundaries and a couple of sixes in his 34-ball knock.

Manish Pandey (17) departed as he hit a short delivery off Ish Sodhi straight to the Kiwi skipper.

With his departure, Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his deputy shared a 60-run stand for the fourth wicket to take the team further towards their target.

Dhoni (21) was eventually run-out following a mix-up with Kohli.

The Indian skipper hit a four and a six in his innings.

Kedar Jadhav (10) remained not out along with Kohli.

Earlier, following a precarious start by the Black Caps batsmen, where they lost half their side for less that 50 runs on the board, Tim Southee played a breezy innings of 55 runs to save his team the blushes.

Asked to bat first, New Zealand were eventually bowled out for 190 runs.

Kiwi opener Tom Latham (79) carried his bat throughout the innings, thus becoming only the tenth batsmen in the history of the game to do so.

Southee walked into bat with his team reeling at 106 runs for the loss of 8 wickets.

Dropped at his personal score of two runs by Umesh Yadav, Southee hit three sixes and half a dozen fours in his 45-ball knock to notch his highest ODI score.

This is also his 100th ODI match.

Meanwhile, Latham, who remained unbeaten, weathered early storms and blocked a side as the other witnessed a bizarre collapse.

Apart from the wickets of Martin Guptill and Ross Taylor, who were deceived by some good balls, the others threw away their's, as six Kiwi batsmen failed to get a two-figure score.

Making his debut in ODI's, Hardik Pandya was the wrecker-in-chief for India as he steam-rolled the Kiwi top order with three wickets.

Pandya was also adjudged the Player-of-the-match for his exploits with the ball.

Amit Mishra, the most experienced spinner in the line-up sans Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, was carted for runs, but managed to pick three wickets.

Kedar Jadhav too chipped in with two wickets, and was on a hat-trick.

The remaining two were picked by Umesh Yadav.

New Zealand were struggling at 65 for the loss of seven wickets, but a 41-run partnership between Latham and Doug Bracewell (15) kept their side afloat.

It was followed by a 71-run partnership between Latham and Southee for the ensuing wicket.

(Writing by Sudipto Maity)
 

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