After a near perfect beginning, India would look to tighten the noose around a struggling New Zealand with a barrage of spin in the second ODI in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.
After a near perfect beginning, India would look to tighten the noose around a struggling New Zealand with a barrage of spin in the second ODI in Mount Maunganui on Saturday.
India vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI: Live scores and full commentary
New Zealand batsmen looked all at sea against India's spin duo of Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal in their own backyard following a fiery spell from pacer Mohammad Shami in the opening ODI on Wednesday.
The hosts seemed rusty against a team coming off a historic tour of Australia and know beating an in-form India will be steep climb at the Bay Oval here.
Before the sun stopped play for more than 30 minutes in the series-opener, the Indian bowlers made merry with Kuldeep and Chahal sharing six wickets.
Both the wrist-spinners hunt in a pack and would be itching to have another go at the Black Caps.
India are yet to finalise their middle-order ahead of the World Cup but are unlikely to tinker much with the playing eleven after just one game.
Follow live updates & scores of 2nd ODI here:
1. 2nd ODI: Kohli wins toss, opts to bat
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Virat Kohli wins toss, opts to bat in the 2nd ODI against New Zealand on Saturday.
India vs New Zealand: Playing XI
New Zealand XI: Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Kane Williamson (c), Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wk), Henry Nicholls, Colin de Grandhomme, Doug Bracewell, Lockie Ferguson, Ish Sodhi, Trent Boult
India XI: Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, Virat Kohli (c), Ambati Rayudu, MS Dhoni (wk), Kedar Jadhav, Vijay Shankar, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Yuzvendra Chahal
2. India's innings begin
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Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma have walked out in the field, Trent Boult and Dough Bracewell from each end for the hosts with the ball.
After losing the toss, NZ skipper Kane Williamson said that he was looking to bowl anyway. "We were looking to bowl. There is some grass on the wicket. It was a tough call. It's going to be a fair-surface. Hopefully, we can get something out of it first up. We have been playing good cricket. We have had some great games here. There is a lot of cricket, it's important to do the job with the ball in hand and then come back later to chase it down.
After three overs, India are 16 for 0.
3. 50 Up for India
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Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have given India a positive start here. In the first six overs, making use of the PP, the tourists gathered as many as 31 runs. In the next three overs, India touch their first 50. NZ have used three bowlers so far, Boult, Bracewell and Ferguson. Kane to introduce spinner Ish Sodhi soon.
India are 56 for 0, Overs 10
4. Fifty for Rohit Sharma
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Lockie Ferguson bowls a short ball to Rohit, who ruthlessly pulls it away into the grass banks behind square for a SIX! He brings up his 38th ODI fifty, his 3rd in New Zealand.
Meanwhile, Rohit and Dhawan reach 100-run stand for the opening wicket and surpass Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag!
Most 100+ stands for India in ODIs:
Tendulkar - Ganguly - 26
Rohit - Kohli - 15
ROHIT - DHAWAN - 14
Tendulkar - Sehwag - 13
5. Fifty for Dhawan now!
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de Grandhomme to Dhawan, the batter drives towards left for sweeper fielder for two runs and here, he brings up his 27th ODI fifty. Back to back half-centuries for the opener and his return to his touch is great news for India. Meanwhile, it's raining boundaries in the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui as Rohit-Dhawan are now charging against every Kiwi bowler.
Kane Williamson now hands the ball to part-timer Colin Munro in a hope of a breakthrough. Unfortunately, Munro starts off with a wide, then a boundary in the third delivery as Munro ends his first over giving away seven runs.
India are 141 for 0, Overs - 23
6. OUT! Boult gives NZ the much-needed breakthrough!
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After Rohit-Dhawan took off India to a stunning start, the Kiwis pulled one back in the 26th over as their most dependable pacer Trent Boult bowled a wicket-maiden over. He broke the 154-run stand of the Indian openers by dismissing Dhawan for 66. A short and wide ball from Boult, Dhawan cuts it but ends with a thick edge that goes behind, where Latham dives to his left to finish the catch.
India are 154 for 1, Overs 26
7. OUT, Rohit misses on a ton!
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Massive celebrations break at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui when Lockie Ferguson dismisses the dangerous Rohit Sharma! Rohit looks to pull Ferguson but he can only find Colin de Grandhomme just off the fence. He goes for 87.
India are 196 for 2, Overs 34
8. Kohli, Rayudu OUT!
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Trent Boult and Lockie Ferguson strike again as they dismiss Kohli and Rayudu respectively. Both the batsmen were looking good and a breakthrough was made at the very needed time. Even after all the efforts from the hosts, India have gone past 300 and they still have MS Dhoni at the crease.
On the occasion of 70th Republic Day, here's a special record Dhoni has made for his nation - READ HERE.
India are 303 for 4, Overs 49
9. 2nd ODI: New Zealand need 325 to win
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Kedar Jadhav spoils disciplined figures of Lockie Ferguson, as he smashes the Kiwi pacer for 21 runs in the final over - three 4s and two sixes! - scores 22 off just 10 balls. Dhoni remains unbeaten on 48 off just 33 balls, his knock is inclusive of five boundaries and a six. Earlier, Ambati Rayudu and Virat Kohli's third-wicket stand of 64 runs was the reason why India fought back after losing both the openers. It was overall a great show by the Indian batsmen as each and every one who batted did well.
India 324 for 4, Overs 50
10. NZ begin their chase
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Colin Munro and Martin Guptill are out in the field. The Kiwis are about to begin their chase of 325. It's a fairly decent batting pitch, each and every batsman, as the Indians did, will have to take the responsibility and not put the entire chase-burden on their skipper Kane Williamson's shoulders. Meanwhile, Kohli will expect his bowling attack to discplined again today.
NZ need 325 to win.
11. OUT! Guptill goes for 15
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On the final ball of his third over, Bhuvi bowls a short one to Guptill, who smashes it straight to third man. Chahal there reads the ball well and pounces on it; excellent effort considering her was just near the rope.
Williamson walks in
New Zealand 23 for 1, Overs 5
12. Kane Williamson: 6, 6, 4, 2, OUT!
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After starting slow, just two runs off his first six balls, Williamson goes berserk in the eighth over. Shami to Kane, short ball and the Kiwi skipper pulls it for a SIX over fine leg, another SIX, in the ditto way. Four to follow. TWO. OUT! "That is Cricket for you, it's a great leveller," says Sunil Gavaskar on air. A length delivery this time from Shami, Kane makes the room for himself but ends with getting an inside edge that lands on his stumps.
Shami has the last laugh; massive blow for the hosts in their chase of 325.
New Zealand are 65 for 2, Overs - 11
13. Lightning quick again, MSD. Taylor out!
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It was the first ball of the 18th over, bowled by Kedar Jadhav. The Kiwi generated some drift and Taylor was beaten on the outside edge, while he tried to push the ball. The back foot came up very slightly and that was enough for Dhoni, who whipped off the bails in a flash.
New Zealand are in trouble. They earlier lost Colin Munro too.
14. Kuldeep on fire, Kiwis in trouble!
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Kuldeep Yadav removed four Kiwi batsmen for just 30 runs - Latham, Nicholls, de Grandhomme and Sodhi. The commentators have rightly said; any team that can play spin well will only succeed against an Indian team of this form.
Meanwhile, Doug Bracewell is playing a gritty knock. He brings up his maiden ODI half-century. Since India are just 2 wickets away from a win, a mountain of task ahead of Bracewell here to save the match for the hosts.
New Zealand need 113 off 79 balls to win the 2nd ODI and square the five-match series.
15. 2nd ODI: India thrash New Zealand by 90 runs!
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Yuzi Chahal dismisses Ferguson, the final wicket, to end the match as India thrash the Kiwis by 90 runs to go 2-0 up in the five-match ODI series. Kuldeep Yadav once again was impressive as he claimed four wickets for 45 runs in 10 overs. Whenever a Blackcaps' batsman looked to settle in, India ensured there was a breakthrough made. For New Zealand, the top-scorer for their fast bowler, Dough Bracewell, who scored 57 off 46 balls.
India and New Zealand are scheduled to play the third game on Monday.
