Auckland: India defeated New Zealand by 5 wickets in the first ODI to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Veteran batsman Virat Kohli played a key role in India’s victory with a brilliant 74-run knock off 51 balls in the rain-affected match played at Eden Park on Wednesday. Earlier, Indian fast bowlers Arshdeep Singh, Gurnur Brar, and Anshul Kamboj performed brilliantly, restricting New Zealand to 185.
India’s inexperienced fast bowling attack performed brilliantly collectively. New Zealand were all out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Due to rain, India were given a revised target of 143 runs from 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, which they achieved in 22.4 overs for the loss of 5 wickets.
Rohit Sharma returns to the pavilion without scoring
Chasing the target, India suffered a setback in the very first over when Rohit Sharma was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson for a duck after six balls. Virat Kohli and captain Shubman Gill then steadied the innings, forging a superb partnership.
The match was interrupted twice due to rain. After play resumed for the second time, Kohli completed his half-century with a brilliant pull shot towards midwicket in the 16th over. He reached 50 runs in just 35 balls.
Kohli breaks Sachin Tendulkar’s record
Virat Kohli responded brilliantly to the New Zealand bowlers’ short ball strategy. He hit 13 fours and a six in his innings. During this, Kohli also set a major record.
He has become the batsman with the most runs while chasing a target in ODI cricket, surpassing the legendary Sachin Tendulkar in this feat. Kohli now has 8,741 runs in ODI run chases, surpassing Sachin Tendulkar’s 8,720.
On the other hand, Shubman Gill provided excellent support with a 56-ball 37. The two shared a 100-plus partnership. This was the sixth century partnership between the two batsmen in 27 ODI innings.
Duffy adds to the woes by taking three wickets, including Kohli’s
In the 19th over, Nathan Smith broke the partnership by having Shubman Gill caught behind. Despite this, Kohli maintained the run rate and brought India closer to victory.
Jacob Duffy had Kohli caught by Tim Seifert for 74. In the same over, he dismissed Axar Patel for 10. Shreyas Iyer also departed for 15, giving New Zealand some hope of a comeback.
However, KL Rahul and Naman Dheer ensured India won the match by hitting a boundary towards midwicket off Nathan Smith.
Arshdeep Singh took four wickets
Earlier, the Indian bowlers did not allow the New Zealand batting to settle down. Arshdeep Singh bowled brilliantly, taking four wickets. Gurnur Brar took three wickets and Anshul Kamboj took two wickets, contributing significantly to restricting New Zealand to 185 runs.
Brief Scores:
– New Zealand: 185/10 (40.2 overs) – Tim Seifert 38, Blair Tickner 34; Arshdeep Singh 4/70, Gurnur Brar 3/44, Anshul Kamboj 2/22.
– India: 143/5 (22.4 overs, DLS) – Virat Kohli 74, Shubman Gill 37; Jacob Duffy 3/49, Nathan Smith 1/21.
Result: India beat New Zealand by 5 wickets under DLS method and took a 1-0 lead in the series.