India vs New Zealand 2019: All-Round Show Helps India to Take 2-0 Lead
Jan 26, 2019 at 3:04 PM
India vs New Zealand 2019: The visitors India registered yet another clinical win on Saturday (January 26) by 90 runs in the second One-day International of the five-match series against hosts Kiwis at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui. Thus, the resounding all-round performance saw India leading the Netmeds series 2-0.
Also, it is one of the sweetest victories that the Men in Blue will cherish for a long time as it came on the occasion of the 70th Republic Day.
While chasing the target of 325 runs, the Black Caps got bamboozled at 234 in 40.2 overs.
Spinners bag six at the Bay Oval:
Yet again following the spectacular performance form the batters especially Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan with a century-run stand, Kuldeep Chahal and Yuzvendra Chahal have sealed the show.
Kuldeep was the wrecker-in-chief with the ball bagging four wickets while giving away 45 runs in 10 overs. However, Chahal returned with the figures of two for 52 in 9.2 overs.
Kiwis had a cautious start, but things started off falling in India’s way following some brilliant bowling. Martin Guptill was the first man to go after scoring 16-ball 15.
However, skipper Kane Willaimson has raced the Kiwis past fifty-run mark in 7.4 overs with some big shots, but he perished while chopping the ball onto the stumps. Also, it opened the floodgates before the appearance of Doug Bracewell, who was the only highlight for the hosts. Bracewell slammed a quickfire 57 off 56 balls.
In a nutshell, the middle-order had a start, but they faltered in between when Indian bowlers stemmed the run flow.
MS Dhoni Special:
Moreover, MS Dhoni sends back Ross Taylor on the bowling of Kedar Jadhav while finding the batsman inches off the ground and that was enough for him to dislodge the bails. Taylor could score 25-ball 22.
Earlier, dynamic Indian leader Virat Kohli won the toss to start the proceedings with a bang. The opening pair in the form of Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan gave a breezy start to India. They went on to slam another hundred-run partnership. Both kept the Kiwis bowlers guessing in the middle, before recording staggering 154-run partnership for the first wicket.
In particular, Rohit has been the top-scorer for India with 87 off 96 deliveries comprised of nine fours and three sixes. Dhawan who smashed his second consecutive fifty recorded 67-ball 66 runs. He smashed nine boundaries before edge settled into the gloves of wicketkeeper Tom Latham.
Interestingly, it allowed the prominent open batters to eclipse the record of Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag for the most number of opening hundred-run stands.
The previous record was 13 between Tendulkar and Sehwag, whereas, Rohit and Dhawan slammed 14 hundred-run partnership, so far.
Soon after the wickets of Dhawan and Rohit, skipper Kohli led from the front alongside Ambati Rayudu to take the target beyond 230-plus.
The top-order batsman Kohli recorded 43 off 45 balls, whereas, Rayudu recorded 49-ball 47.
Dhoni shone with the bat, again:
Thereon, it was Dhoni’s show to take India past 300-run mark with some spectacular strokes. Dhoni who missed on his fourth consecutive half-century by two runs powered India to 324 runs alongside Kedar Jadhav who played a cameo of 10-ball 22.
The right-handed batsman scored unbeaten 48 off 33 balls at the strike-rate of 145.45. His innings included five fours and a maximum.
However, Kiwis bowling column looked a pale shadow of what unfolded in the series opener at the McLean Park in Napier before losing out the game by eight wickets.
The paceman Lockie Ferguson, who recently talked about the execution of plans for Kohli was taken to the cleaners. Ferguson conceded 81 runs in his ten overs to bag the wickets of Rohit and Rayudu.
Also, Trent Boult bagged two scalps for 61 in his quota of ten overs. However, the 26-year-old off-spinner Ish Sodhi, who came at the expense of Mitchell Santner went wicketless. He gave away 43 runs in 10 overs.
India vs New Zealand 2019 – Brief Scores:
INDIA: Rohit Sharma 87 (96), Shikhar Dhawan 66 (67), MS Dhoni 48 (33) – Trent Boult 2 for 61
NZ: Doug Bracewell 57 (46), Tom Latham 34 (22) – Kuldeep Yadav 4 for 45