IND vs NZ 1st ODI: Tom Latham, Kane Williamson shine as New Zealand beat India by 7 wickets

As with the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final loss to England, it was difficult to determine whether the batters or bowlers let the team down as New Zealand cruised to a 307-run target in the first of three one-day internationals (ODIs) in Auckland on Friday. After fifty-plus scores from Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyear, and Shubman Gill, as well as a late blitz from Washington Sundar, India posted a par score of 306 at McLean Park, but it was insufficient for the visitors.

Tom Latham and Kane Williamson put on a record 221-run stand in 164 balls to help New Zealand reach the 307-run mark with 7 wickets and 2.5 overs to spare.

That's that from the 1st ODI.

New Zealand win by 7 wickets, lead the series 1-0.

Scorecard - https://t.co/JLodolycUc #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/HEtWL04inV

— BCCI (@BCCI) November 25, 2022

After the T20 World Cup departure, there were calls for India's white-ball strategy, particularly with the bat when it comes to scoring at a faster rate, to improve, and if Friday's symptoms are any indication, India are still playing catch-up in the ODI format as well.

It was India's fifth consecutive ODI defeat to New Zealand, dating back to the 2019 World Cup semi-final. In February 2020, the Asian titans were defeated 3-0 in an ODI series.

With a 221-run partnership that arrived in less than a run-a-ball, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson ensured New Zealand made easy work of the chase. Latham was harsh on the Indian bowlers, helping to shift the trend after coming into bat at 88 for 3 in the 20th over, when the BlackCaps' asking rate was skyrocketing.

Latham and Williamson also broke the mark for New Zealand's biggest partnership against India, surpassing the 200 set by the left-hander himself and Ross Taylor in Mumbai in 2017.

For India, Umran Malik showed early promise by taking two wickets in his first two spells, dismissing Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell. Umran, who had a forgettable T20I start, was superb in his ODI debut, scaring New Zealand batters with his quick pace.

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