Virat Kohli made 74 off 51 balls and Anshul Kamboj took 2 for 22 as India beat New Zealand by five wickets under DLS in a rain-hit first ODI at Eden Park. India chased a revised 143 from 32 overs and lead the five-match series 1-0.
Auckland, New Zealand: Rain stopped India’s chase, a long delay followed, and then the rain came back. By the time Naman Dhir pulled Nathan Smith for the winning boundary, India had 143 for 5 in 22.4 overs, and Kohli’s 51-ball innings had settled a match that never ran to plan.
New Zealand wobble, then Tickner hits out
India won the toss and chose to bowl, and New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70, including openers Will Young and Henry Nicholls, who both made 9. Gurnoor Brar took 3 for 44 and Kamboj returned 2 for 22 in ten overs, a spell that earned him Player of the Match. Daryl Mitchell was run out by Rohit Sharma for 28.
Tim Seifert top-scored with 38 off 43 balls and Glenn Phillips made 30, but New Zealand were 146 for 9 when Blair Tickner arrived to hit four sixes in a 23-ball 34. He added 39 for the last wicket, lifting the total to 185.
Rain, and a new target of 143
The chase began badly when Rohit fell for a duck to Kyle Jamieson in the first over. Rain stopped play with India on 54 for 1 after 10.5 overs. After a delay of one hour and 11 minutes, play resumed and rain returned shortly afterwards. The match was reduced to 32 overs a side, and India’s target was revised to 143 under DLS.
Kohli and Gill take control
Kohli and Shubman Gill added 113 for the second wicket. Gill made 37 off 56 balls before Smith had him caught behind in the 19th over. Kohli reached his fifty off 35 balls and finished on 74 off 51, with 13 fours and a six, before Jacob Duffy had him caught by Seifert at deep backward square leg in the 20th over.
The innings also took Kohli past Sachin Tendulkar as the highest run-scorer in ODI chases. He now has 8,741 runs in chases, against Tendulkar’s 8,720.
Duffy strikes late, Rahul and Dhir finish
Duffy kept New Zealand in the game, finishing with 3 for 49 after also removing Shreyas Iyer for 15 and Axar Patel for a duck. KL Rahul and Dhir then saw India home to go 1-0 up. New Zealand had gone into the series without Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra, as covered in New Zealand’s squad changes for the India ODIs. The second ODI is in Wellington on Saturday.
Result: India beat New Zealand by five wickets (DLS). New Zealand 185 all out (40.2 overs); India 143 for 5 (22.4 overs; target 143 from 32 overs). India lead the five-match series 1-0. Player of the Match: Anshul Kamboj (2/22). Key performers: Virat Kohli 74 (51), Arshdeep Singh 4/70, Gurnoor Brar 3/44, Jacob Duffy 3/49.
