Virat Kohli once again showed why he is so good in a run chase. He scored 74 off 51 balls as India beat New Zealand by five wickets in the first ODI at Eden Park, Auckland.
India chased a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs. The win gives them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The pitch was not easy for batting. The ball bounced more than expected and troubled several batters. But Kohli handled the conditions well.
IND vs NZ: Indian pacers bowl New Zealand out for 185
India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl. The decision worked well as India’s pacers made full use of the conditions.
Arshdeep Singh gave India an early breakthrough. He dismissed Will Young and Henry Nicholls with short balls.
Gurnoor Brar then joined the attack and removed Tim Seifert and Tom Latham. New Zealand kept losing wickets and struggled to build a big partnership.
Daryl Mitchell was run out after a mix-up with Glenn Phillips. Rohit Sharma’s sharp throw helped India get another wicket.
Anshul Kamboj also had a good day with the ball. He took two wickets and gave away just 22 runs in his 10 overs. His use of the wobble ball troubled the New Zealand batters.
Arshdeep finished with 4/70, while Brar picked up 3/44.
New Zealand were in trouble at 115/7. Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy added 39 runs for the last wicket. Tickner scored 34, including four sixes.
New Zealand were all out for 185 in 40.2 overs.
IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli takes charge after rain breaks
India did not get the start they wanted. Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck in the first over. Kyle Jamieson caught him at mid-off.
Kohli and Gill took some time to settle in. The New Zealand bowlers got good movement off the pitch and kept the scoring rate low.
Kohli then found his rhythm. He started playing his shots against the short balls. A pull off Jacob Duffy brought his first boundary after 19 balls without one.
Rain stopped play twice during the chase. India were 55/1 when the first break came. After the second interruption, the target was revised to 143 from 32 overs.
Kohli stepped up after the restart. He pulled Jamieson for four and hit Tickner over midwicket for six. He reached his 80th ODI fifty in just 35 balls.
Gill played a steady hand at the other end. The two added 113 runs for the second wicket. It was their sixth century partnership in 27 ODI innings together.
Kohli eventually fell for 74. Jacob Duffy took his wicket with a short ball. Gill also departed soon after, giving New Zealand a late chance.
Axar Patel was dismissed for a duck. India lost three wickets for 10 runs in 11 balls.
But the damage was limited. India were still ahead of the DLS par score.
Naman Dhir finishes the chase
Shreyas Iyer hit a six off Duffy but could not stay for long. He scored 15 before getting caught at short midwicket.
Naman Dhir kept his calm and finished the match with a boundary. India reached 143/5 in 22.4 overs and won by five wickets under the DLS method.
Kohli’s innings made the biggest difference on a difficult pitch. India’s fast bowlers had also done their job by keeping New Zealand to 185.
Brief scores: New Zealand 185 in 40.2 overs (Tim Seifert 38, Blair Tickner 34; Arshdeep Singh 4/70, Gurnoor Brar 3/44, Anshul Kamboj 2/22) lost to India 143/5 in 22.4 overs (Virat Kohli 74; Jacob Duffy 3/49) by five wickets (DLS method).
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