In the 50-Over ODI at India was rolled over and crushed by a Kiwi bowling attack spearheaded by MATT HENRY ….. Michael Roberts as A Thuppahi …. presenting my friend SIDARTH MONGA’s report in ESPNcricinfo
New Zealand 333 (Young 125, Seifert 58, Axar 2-39) beat India 89 (Kishan 27, Henry 6-27, Fisher 3-31) by 244 runs
India have been scrambling to get their Test players some Test-like preparation but Test cricket came to right where they were with Matt Henry returning to action and immediately finding the magical length that traps batters on the crease and hits the top of the stumps. In what has to be among a handful of the greatest first overs ever bowled in an ODI innings, he consigned to ducks Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Shreyas Iyer, all but ending India’s chase of 334, a target they would have been pretty happy with after Will Young‘s personal best of 125 off 108 had taken New Zealand to 256 for 4 in the 37th over.
While India will be pleased with their constant strikes in the middle overs, an area they have struggled in in the past, they will also reflect on the 85-run opening stand in these conditions. Auqib Nabi had Young dropped twice on 5, but after that India didn’t look as threatening with the new ball.
You might think India were reverting to type in good batting conditions in Mount Maunganui, but this was a surprisingly good start for New Zealand. Tim Seifert was the first New Zealand batter since Martin Guptill in 2015 to complete a fifty in the first 10 overs, also his maiden one in the format. This was also New Zealand’s first opening stand of 50 or more in the last eight ODIs.
Sidharth Monga is a senior writer at Cricinf
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