On a high after a defining tour of Australia, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team faces a trickier challenge when it locks horns with an ever-so-sprightly New Zealand in the first ODI of the five-match ODI series on Wednesday.
On a high after a defining tour of Australia, the Virat Kohli-led Indian team faces a trickier challenge when it locks horns with an ever-so-sprightly New Zealand in the first ODI of the five-match ODI series on Wednesday.
India vs New Zealand, 1st ODI: Live scorecard and full commentary
The Indian team, which has shifted its focus entirely on World Cup preparations, is still searching for the right middle-order combination despite their first-ever bilateral ODI series win on Australian soil.
MS Dhoni's hat-trick of half-centuries has brought joy to the dressing room but the smaller grounds in New Zealand against a better seam attack comprising the wily Trent Boult, the talented Lockie Ferguson and the relentless Tim Southee will be a different test altogether for the 'Men In Blue'.
Follow live scores and updates of 1st ODI:
1. Toss: NZ win toss, opt to bat in 1st ODI
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New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson wins the toss, opts to bat in the opening ODI of the five-match series at Napier.
Here are the playing XIs:
NZ XI: M Guptill, C Munro, K Williamson, R Taylor, H Nicholls, T Latham, M Santner, D Bracewell, T Southee, L Ferguson, T Boult
IND XI: Rohit, Dhawan, Kohli(c), Dhoni(w), Jadhav, Rayudu, Shankar, Yadav, Chahal, Kumar, Shami
PC: BCCI
2. The play begins in Napier!
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After the respective national anthems, New Zealand openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro take the crease and for India, Bhuvneshwar Kumar begins the proceedings. PC: Blackcaps Twitter
3. OUT! Shami draws first blood, Guptill goes for 5
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After Bhuvi opened the bowling, has Shami from the other end. Shami appeals for an LBW on his very second ball but there is an inside edge. Two deliveries later, he does have a wicket. His 100the ODI wicket as he cleans up Guptill's stumps. Shami bowls an inswinger, Guptill tries to hit it with hard hards but only manages an inside edge that lands on his stumps.
Meanwhile, Shami (56 matches) becomes the fastest Indian to 100 ODI wickets, bettering Irfan Pathan (59 matches).
Fewest ODIs by an Indian bowler to 100 ODI wickets:
56 Mohammed Shami
59 Irfan Pathan
65 Zaheer Khan
67 Ajit Agarkar
68 Javagal Srinath
4. A double strike for Shami: Munro out for 8
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What a start from Shami and India here in the first ODI. After removing Guptill, Shami beats his opening partner with an indipper. Munro did not move, tries to drive in the gap between his bat and ball before getting bowled.
NZ are in trouble, they have two new batsmen but their best at the crease now - Williamson and Taylor.
NZ are 19 for 2 Overs 6
5. Chahal strikes!
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Chahal breaks the 34-run stand between Williamson and Taylor as he dismisses the latter in the 15th over. Chahal tosses the ball up in the first two balls of the over before bowling one in and a confused Taylor only manages to give a return catch to the bowler, who makes no mistake here.
India have three wickets inside three overs, just the start they wanted against this No. 2 side.
NZ are 60 for 3, Overs 16
PC: BlackCaps Twitter
6. OUT! Kiwis lose two more wickets
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Yuzi bags a huge wicket, Tom Latham goes for even before he could begin to charge against his favouite opponents. The spinner bowls a slower delivery, a bit tossed up, drops right in front of Latham before dipping massively. The batter moves forward to push ir but a leading edge goes to Chahal as a return catch. The bowler takes a low catch. He is convinced that he has taken it cleanly, the umpire asks for third umpire. It is given out eventually.
A few overs later, Kedar Jadhav removes Henry Nicholls. Jadhav bowls one on Nicholls' leg stump, the batter looks to cut it to on-side. The ball flies closer to mid-wicket fielder. Kuldeep Yadav comes running to his right and takes superb two-handed catch.
NZ 122 for 5, Overs 27
7. Fifty for Kane Williamson!
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In the 26th over, Jadhav bowls slower ball well outside off, Williamson goes forward and drives the ball into the gap wide of long-off, runs for a two. Brings up his 36th ODI half-century and seventh against India. The hosts need their skipper to stay till the end as the wickets have been regularly falling on the other end. PC: AFP
8. Williamson out for 64, Bracewell follows him next
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In the 34th over, Kuldeep Yadav tosses up around off, KW probably looks to push it into the gap wide of mid-wicket. But, he ends up getting a leading edge that flies to Vijay Shankar at long-on. This was a loose shot from the skipper and it is very surprising because he is usually the last one to ever play that shot to throw away his wicket, epecially when his team is struggling. PC: AFP
9. 1st ODI: Blackcaps are 157-all out!
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Kuldeep Yadav bags four wickets for just 11 runs towards the end to help India bowl out New Zealand for a mere total of 157 runs. An excellent show combined from KULCHA - Kuldeep and Chahal - as they bag 6/82 in 20 overs. The other wickets were taken by Shami (3 for 19) and Jadhav (1 for 17).
New Zealand 157-all out in 38 overs
Innings break! PC: AFP
10. India begin chase of 158
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Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have walked out in the field to open India's innings. Considering the batting power this side consists of, this chase should be a mere cakewalk for them. Let's see!
India need 158 to win the 1st ODI
11. Rohit Out!
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Dough Bracewell draws first blood in the 10th over as he dismisses Rohit Sharma for 11. Bracewell bowls a short of length delivery, outside the off stump, Rohit plays a lazy push only to edge an easy catch to slip fielder Martin Guptill. Perfect start for the Kiwis.
India 43 for 1 Overs 10
12. Outrage of sun stops play!
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India are 44 for 1 and they still need 117 runs to win the 1st ODI at Napier. Apparently, the setting sun is directly in the eyes of the batsmen and this has stopped the play, considering the safety of players and the umpires.
"Normally, the pitches in cricket grounds are positioned in a North-South direction precisely to avoid this scenario, but at McLean Park, the pitch is facing East-West," I find this explanation on Twitter that could help you understand the situation. PC: AFP
13. 1st ODI: Play resumes in Napier
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India already have added 33 runs to their total and now are less than 70 runs away from a superb victory here in Napier in the first ODI. While Dhawan is the one charging, Kohli is playing his second fiddle here. PC: AFP
14. Fifty for Dhawan as India close in win in 1st ODI
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Post the sun-break, the duo of Dhawan and Kohli has really accelerated India's chase here and the fans who stuck around despite receiving the lash of the sun are having a great time here. Meanwhile, Dhawan reaches his 26th ODI fifty. PC: AFP
15. King Kohli breaks into top-10!
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Another match, another record: King Kohli surpasses Brian Lara to enter top-10 ODI run-getters!
Kohli was 21 runs away surpassing West Indian great Brian Lara for the record and he achieved that during India's chase of 157 at the McLean Park, Napier.
King Kohli is now No. 10 on the runs charts of the ODIs behind leader Sachin Tendulkar, Kumar Sangakkara, Ricky Ponting, Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Kallis, Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid.
A few overs later, Kohli is given LBW. But he asks for a review and the decision gets overturned.
India are 123 for 1, need 33 more runs to win 1st ODI
16. 1st ODI: India thump Kiwis by 8 wickets
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Ambati Rayudu hits the winning runs but it was Shikhar Dhawan who held his nerves and led India from the front as he remains not out on 75 off 103 balls. His knock includes six fours but he did not go for the big hits today.
Kohli's Team India goes 1-0 up in the five-ODI series. The second match will be played on Saturday at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui.
