The hosts New Zealand have taken the 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series against the visitors India after beating them in the opening game by four wickets at Seddon Park (Hamilton). Ross Taylor played a heroic centurion knock while the openers and skipper also played crucial roles for that victory.
After winning the toss, New Zealand captain Tom Latham decided to field first. The visitors managed to score 347/4 (50 overs) in the first innings, but they failed to defend that total. New Zealand chased down that target in 48.1 overs after losing six wickets (348/6).
Ross Taylor scored 109 not out
The Kiwi openers Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls set the good start with 85 runs partnership. After Guptill lost his wicket on 32 runs, debutant Tom Blundell (9) was stumped out cheaply. Nicholls handled that situation with Ross Taylor as both put the 62 runs partnership for the third wicket.
After Nicholls was run out on 78 runs (82 balls), Taylor and captain Tom Latham provided the game-changing quick-fire 138 runs partnership and that too only in 13.1 overs. The wicketkeeper-batsman Latham scored 69 runs off 48 balls (8 fours and 2 sixes), and Taylor smashed a 73-ball century. Though the hosts had again a late panic, this time they survived. Ross Taylor remained not out on 109 runs off just 84 balls (10 fours and 4 sixes).
The left-arm chinaman Kuldeep Yadav took two wickets, but he was very expensive (2/84). Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami (1/63) and Shardul Thakur (1/80) managed to pick up one wicket each. Apart from Jasprit Bumrah (10-1-53-0), all other Indian bowlers had the economy rate of over 6.00.
Shreyas Iyer registered his first ODI century
The debutant openers Prithvi Shaw and Mayank Agarwal provided the 50 runs partnership before losing their wickets. While Shaw scored 20 runs, Agarwal played the 32 runs knock.
Then the captain Virat Kohli put the 102 runs partnership with Shreyas Iyer for the third wicket. After scoring 51 runs, Kohli was bowled by Ish Sodhi. However, Iyer continued his impressive batting with the wicketkeeper-batsman KL Rahul.
Once again Rahul impressed with his batting, and he provided 136 runs partnership with Iyer for the fourth wicket. Iyer finally managed to hit his maiden century in international cricket as he completed his first ODI century in 101 balls. He lost his wicket after scoring 103 runs off 107 balls (11 fours and only six).
In the final moment, Rahul and Kedar Jadhav batted powerfully and set the 55 runs partnership off 27 balls for the unbroken fifth wicket. While Rahul completed a half-century in 41 balls, he remained not out on 88 runs off 64 balls (3 fours and 6 sixes). On the other hand, Kedar Jadhav was unbeaten on 26 runs off 15 balls (3 fours and only six).
Among the New Zealand bowlers, Tim Southee (2/85) bagged two wickets while Colin de Grandhomme (1/41) and Ish Sodhi (1/27) were the only other bowlers to open the wicket column.