New Zealand vs. India: Cricket
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Test matches
2010-12
The Times of India
See graphic:
India vs. New Zealand Cricket tests played 2010-2012 in India
...till September 2016
The Times of India
See graphic:
India vs. New Zealand Cricket tests played before Sept 2016
2019
ODI series
Napier: India wins
January 24, 2019: The Times of India
From: January 24, 2019: The Times of India
India Crush NZ By 8 wkts In Napier ODI After Bowlers Dismiss Hosts For 157
India produced cricket of the calibre that has become synonymous with Virat Kohli’s men to crush New Zealand in the first ODI but a bizarre and unprecedented sun-induced interruption overshadowed the on-field action here Wednesday. Entering the five-match rubber following maiden Test and ODI series triumphs in Australia, India signalled their intent with a clinical display, which saw them chase down a revised target of 156 by eights wickets in 34.5 overs.
The Duckworth-Lewis method came into the picture for an interruption which was not caused by rain for the first time.
On a near-perfect day, the only thing that didn’t go their way was the toss. But India made light of that by bowling out the home team for a paltry 157 in 38 overs.
Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav was the most successful bowler, returning figures of 4/39 in 10 overs, while seamer Mohammed Shami finished with an excellent 3/19 in six overs. There were also two wickets for leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal. Captain Kane Williamson topscored for the hosts with 64 off 81 balls. In response, Shikhar Dhawan began the innings with a flurry of boundaries, eventually finishing as the top-scorer with 75 off 103 balls.
The left-handed opening batman, battling indifferent form, studded his innings with six boundaries. India were comfortably placed at 44 for one when, in a bizarre turn of events, players walked off the ground after dinner because the setting sun made it difficult for them to spot the ball at McLean Park.
This led to an interruption that has never been seen in international cricket before.
Because of the nearly half-anhour delay, the target was revised to 156 in 49 overs, which the visitors chased without much ado.
While Rohit Sharma may have lost his focus after the dinner break, Kohli and Dhawan didn’t let the sun-induced stoppage distract their minds when play resumed. Kohli, though, got out five short of a fifty.
The Indian captain hit three boundaries in his 59-ball knock before pacer Lockie Ferguson had him caught behind with a quick delivery that caught the batsman by surprise. In the course of his 26th ODI fifty, Dhawan became the joint fourth fastest batsman to reach 5000 runs. Dhawan needed 118 innings to reach the mark.
This knock will bring some relief for Dhawan as he hasn’t scored a half century in his last nine innings. Earlier, opting to bat, the New Zealanders were off to an inauspicious start, losing both openers Martin Guptill and Colin Munro within the first five overs with just 18 runs on the board.
By sending back Guptill in his 56th match, the 28-year-old Shami became the fastest Indian to reach 100 wickets in ODIs.
Coming into the series after a hugely successful 2018, Ross Taylor looked good in his 41-ball 24, but he was brilliantly caught and bowled by Chahal, who lured the batsman to dance down the pitch a tad too early with his change of pace.
Till Taylor was there alongside Williamson, things looked good for New Zealand, as the duo played a few delightful shots, especially the skipper whose trademark backfoot punch through the covers stood out.
Tom Latham was dismissed in similar fashion, with leg-spinner Chahal being the bowler.
Sun stops play
January 24, 2019: The Times of India
Rain often disrupts cricket, but in New Zealand it was the sun that forced players off the field on Wednesday during the One-Day International against India. The low angle of the sun hitting the Napier wicket was too much for batsmen, fielders and umpires, and senior umpire Shaun George took the players off the field with India 44 for one in reply to New Zealand’s 157.
“Everyone is being protected,” George said, adding it was the first time he had experienced play called off because of the sun.
It was a welcome break for India captain Virat Kohli, who had previously been dismissed when the sun was in his eyes.
“In 2014, this (sun break) rule wasn’t there. I actually got out in a game feeling like the sun was in my eyes,” he said.
“I’m glad it is (a rule) now because it was impossible to watch the ball in that particular phase. It was funny but it was something new.”
Play resumed after about 30 minutes, with the disruption reducing the match by one over. India’s target was reduced by two runs to 156, which they easily reached in 34.5 overs.
Mount Maunganui: India wins
January 27, 2019: The Times of India
MEN IN BLUE CRUSH KIWIS BY 90 RUNS, TAKE 2-0 LEAD
Wrist spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal continued to torment New Zealand batsmen after a collective batting effort, guiding India to an emphatic 90-run win in the second ODI. India now lead the five-match series 2-0.
Opting to bat, India piled up a challenging 324 for 4, riding on Rohit Sharma (87) and Shikhar Dhawan (66)’s fluent half-centuries. There were significant contributions from captain Virat Kohli (43), Ambati Rayudu (47) and Mahendra Singh Dhoni (48 not out).
Kedar Jadhav contributed a quickfire 22 not out in just 10 balls as he and Dhoni added 53 runs in final 4.2 overs for the unconquered fifth wicket.
The visiting bowlers then shot New Zealand out for 234 in 40.2 overs as India scored a comprehensive win to celebrate the country’s Republic Day in style.
Kuldeep and Chahal shared bulk of the spoils. Like in the first ODI, Kuldeep took four wickets while Chahal accounted for two.
The home side batsmen offered very little resistance save Doug Bracewell, who top-scored with 57. Kuldeep claimed consecutive wickets of Henry Nicholls and Ish Sodhi in the 31st over, as he polished off the New Zealand innings in a burst of three overs.
Chasing a stiff target of 325, New Zealand lost their top four batsmen, including skipper Kane Williamson (20) and senior pro Ross Taylor (22), by the 18th over when they touched 100-run mark.
The Kiwis were denied a strong start with Bhuvaneshwar Kumar (2/42) and Mohammed Shami (1/43) bowling with a lot of discipline.
When India batted, Rohit missed out on a chance to hit his first ODI in New Zealand. Rohit and Dhawan gave India a flying start with a 154-run opening stand from 25.2 overs during which the New Zealand bowlers were hit all over the park.
Dhawan was out in the 26th over as he thickedged a Trent Boult (2/61) delivery to Latham in the 26th over. He had nine boundaries in his 67-ball innings. Rohit, on the other hand, looked set for a century as he was batting beautifully but in the end fell short of the three-figure mark by 13 runs.
Paceman Lockie Ferguson (2/81), who was generating a lot of pace, removed the dashing Indian batsman who failed to put down a pull shot off a slower ball in the 30th over. Rohit had nine boundaries and three sixes in his 96-ball innings.
One-down Kohli and Rayudu did not give any respite to the Kiwi bowlers as the duo stitched 64 runs for the third wicket from 9.4 overs.
Kohli was in his imperious touch before he became Boult’s second victim in the 40th over.
Dhoni and Jadhav added 86 runs in the final 10 overs. Dhoni hit five boundaries and one six in his 33-ball unbeaten knock.
India wins the series
January 29, 2019: The Times of India
From: January 29, 2019: The Times of India
From: January 29, 2019: The Times of India
Mount Maunganui
A formidable Indian team completely dominated an out of sorts New Zealand for a series-clinching seven-wicket win in the third ODI, continuing to send a resounding message of its near invincibility to every World Cup opposition. With an unassailable lead in the five-match series, skipper Virat Kohli signed off his tour Down Under on a high with a first ODI series win in New Zealand in 10 years. However, it is to be noted that prior to this, India played just one series here since the one in 2009.
It was a complete team effort after the bowlers shot New Zealand out for 243 in 49 overs with allrounder Hardik Pandya (2/45 in 10 overs) making his presence felt with the ball as well as on the field. Pandya was playing his first match after the suspension on him for sexist remarks on a TV show was lifted.
“Three clinical games for us. I couldn’t have asked for a better performance after the first two clinical games. The relentlessness of the side is something that really pleases me,” Kohli said in the post-match presentation.
The chase was a cakewalk with skipper Kohli (60, 74 balls) and his deputy Rohit Sharma (62, 77 balls) adding 113 runs for the second wicket to set up the victory in only 43 overs. “When a guy doesn’t get runs in a couple of games, he’s actually hungry to score runs and the opposition feels a bit nervous because he’s gonna fire at some stage. So, that’s the kind of confidence we carry in the team right now,” Kohli said.
With the pitch on the slower side, the two fluent stroke-players had to keep it slower than usual but even that didn’t come in the way of another comprehensive performance. Once Shikhar Dhawan (28, 6x4) was dismissed, caught in the slips off Trent Boult, Rohit, who till then went slow, opened up. He signalled his intentions with a straight six off Mitchell Santner.
Kohli, at the other end, punched Lockie Ferguson through the point and then hit Ish Sodhi for two boundaries. The first was a top spinner that was pulled to the mid-wicket region while the next was a wrong ‘un on the fifth stump which he cut for another boundary. Rohit, who now has 39 half-centuries, was stumped off Santner’s bowling, when he tried to go for a hoick. His innings had three boundaries and two sixes. Kohli, who now has 49 halfcenturies in ODIs, also hit six fours apart from the the six off Ferguson. Just when a 40th ODI ton was looking imminent, Kohli’s uppish drive off Boult failed to clear Henry Nicholls at extra cover.
However, Dinesh Karthik (38, 38 balls) and Ambati Rayudu (40, 42 balls) saw the team through with an unbroken 77-run stand for the fourth wicket.
