News Zealand India ODI Series First Match Played at Hamilton 

New Zealand 348/6 (Ross Taylor 109*, Henry Nichols 78 ,Tom Latham 69,Kuldeep Yadav 2/84,Mohammad Shami 1/63,SN Thakur 1/80) beat India 347/4 (SS Iyer 103, KL Rahul 88*, Virat Kohli 51, Tim Southee 2/85, IS Sodhi 1/27 and C de Grandhomme 1/41) by 4 wickets 

Player Of The Match: Ross Taylor 

New Zealand finally broke the eight matches drought successfully chasing steep 348 runs target set by India at Hamilton yesterday. 

Their talisman Ross Taylor led the victory march with a perfectly paced unbeaten 109 in 84 deliveries striking 10 fours and 4 sixes. His mates Henry Nichols scored 78 of 82 in setting the foundation of the chase. But it was the stand in captain belligerent Tom Latham who created the winning momentum blasting 69 of 48 deliveries and featuring in a match winning fourth wicket partnership of 138 with Taylor. 

India batting first set a difficult chasing target of 348 for New Zealand. In their innings of 347/4 SS Iyer scored 103 and KL Rahul batting at number 5 scored unbeaten 88. With a very strong bowling attack India thought they had enough for a winning start of their ODI campaign. India just completed a 5-0 routing of the black caps in T20 series .Two matches New Zealand lost from winning positions ending tied and loosing in super overs. But on the day Black Caps looked better resolved and did not throw away the Towel. Their experienced batting star delivered and did not repeat the mistakes of T20 matches. Ross Taylor had so many winning performances in the past. New Zealand went 1-0 ahead in the series.

It was a sweet turn around for the well organized New Zealand Team. Over the past couple of weeks they competed very well with strong India in T20 matches going very close to winning. Two of the five matches they lost in the trot were tied with New Zealand throwing away winning opportunities. Yesterday also almost similar situation was created. But Taylor was firm and determined. It was a great win after a long losing streak. 

Taylor’s Tale In New Zealand Wins.

Highest ODI Scores Chased By New Zealand: 

After a humiliating comprehensive India Wash (5-0 ) in T20 series an unpleasant record that any top ranked ICC team can endure New Zealand threw everything at stake for turning around. However, the series lost some gloss as two top players from two teams Rohit Sharma of India and Kane Willamson of New Zealand were declared unfit for the series through injuries. Tom Latham was given the leadership of New Zealand. India has several inform players and too many options. In fact in ODI they have different batting combinations. Asked to bat they opened with Maynak Agarwal and PP Shaw / It was smooth going at the start as 50 runs were scored by the 8th over when Grandhomme removed Shaw. Soujthee quickly made it 2/54 removing Agarwall. But brilliant Kohli and dynamic Iyer then put together an impressive 102 runs 3rd wicket partnership when Sodhi cleaned up Kohli for51. This brought together two youngsters Iyer and Rahul to carry forward India with sparkling 4th wicket partnership of 136 before Southee could remove Iyer for well made 103 .India by then reached 292 in the 46th over. Rahul coming to bat at number 5 remained unbeaten on 88 scored of 64 deliveries. 347/4 that India scored appeared enough to contain the home side. 

But New Zealand like wounded tigers bounced back. They looked better resolved and very determined from the very outset. Martin Guptill and Henry Nichols in the first wicket partnership laid a solid foundation of 85 in 15.4 overs. The left and right combination carefully planned by the black caps created issues for Indian bowlers. Although Guptill left scoring 32Nichols went on scoring a solid 78. Only Tom Blundell in the top order failed. India lost a golden opportunity of removing anchorman Taylor early dropping him at 12. Once reprieved, he was in his true element teasing and tormenting Indian bowlers.  The 138 runs partnership between Latham (69 off 48) and Taylor (109*) took black caps near the victory target. But for a while after Latham got out Neesham and Grnadhomme perished in no time. The horror of T20 series was looming. But fortunately birthday boy Mitchel Santner stayed firm with Taylor as black caps won handsomely by 4 wickets. It was perhaps one of the most satisfying wins of New Zealand specially after bitter T20 series. 

BDST: 1211 HRS, FEB 06, 2020
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