Gurnoor Brar stood up when it mattered the most. In helpful conditions, Gurnoor stood up with a 4-wicket haul while the others chipped in around him with Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj picking up 2 wickets each while Axar Patel picked up 2 wickets as well as New Zealand collapsed to 134 in 41 overs in a 47 over contest.
For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell fought hard for his 55 off 104 balls while Mitchell Santner made 31 off 38 balls but the rest of the batters were found wanting against a relentless Indian bowling attack. India should chase this down, but anything can happen in the game of cricket.
Auqib Nabi’s double strike rocks New Zealand in the first power play of 10 overs.Â
Put into bat first under overcast gloomy conditions in a 47-over contest, Will Young and Tim Seifert came out to open the batting for New Zealand while Arshdeep Singh had the ball in hand for India. Arshdeep started with a maiden. Auqib Nabi shared the new ball from the other end. Nabi struck for India and drew the first blood as Seifert fell for 0 off 5 balls to give Nabi his maiden ODI wicket. Henry Nicholls came out to bat next and got off the mark with a brace.
Arshdeep continued and kept things nice and tight. Nabi bowled another tight over. Arshdeep bowled another tight over as runs were coming in a trickle at this stage. Nabi continued as Young flicked it away past deep backward square leg for a boundary. Nabi came back and got rid of Young for 6 off 17 balls with one four to his name as Rahul behind the stumps took a good catch tumbling to his right. Daryl Mitchell came out to bat next. Arshdeep continued and bowled another tight over. Nabi overstepped and bowled a wide as well, but the free hit yielded a dot ball.
Mitchell shuffled across and threw everything at the ball and got the outside edge over slips and away to the third man fence for a boundary. Anshul Kamboj came into the attack next. Nicholls got the outside edge past Rahul and Rohit in the slip cordon and away to the fence for a boundary. Kamboj hit back by dismissing Nicholls for 11 off 26 balls with one four to his name as he chopped it back onto the stumps. Tom Latham came out to bat next.
Nabi came to bowl the last over of power play as Mitchell cleared his front leg and launched it over long-on for the maximum. At the end of the 10 overs and the first power play, New Zealand were 29/3 with Mitchell unbeaten on 10 off 11 balls and Latham with him on 0 off 2 balls as we entered the middle phase of the game.
Gurnoor Brar’s double strike helps India keep New Zealand under pressure till the 25th over of the innings.Â
Anshul Kamboj continued to start the next phase of the game and bowled a tight over as well. Gurnoor Brar came into the attack next and started with a wide down the leg side. But Brar kept it tight in his first over. Kamboj continued as Mitchell dragged the ball across the line of off-stump and hit it to mid-on for a boundary. Mitchell then cleared his front leg and swung across the line to hit it past mid-on for a boundary. Brar continued and bowled a tight over. New Zealand were 43/3 in 14 overs when we paused for the first Drinks Break of the day.
Kamboj continued after the break and bowled another tight over. Brar continued and bowled a tight over again. Kamboj continued as Mitchell miscued the ball up in the air with the score on 45/3 in the 17th over as India captain the Prince as he is often called Shubman Gill took it casually and dropped the catch. How costly it would be only time would tell? Gill could not believe it and neither could whole of India. Kamboj kept things tight though.
Brar continued and bowled another tight over. Axar Patel came into the attack next. The 50 came up for New Zealand in 18.3 overs. Axar bowled a decent over as well. Brar continued and got the breakthrough for India as Latham was dismissed for a miscued pull shot for 7 off 22 balls as Naman Dhir took the catch in the deep. Glenn Phillips came out to bat next. Brar got two in the over as he dismissed Phillips for 0 off 4 balls with the pull shot going to Kamboj at deep fine leg. Captain Mitchell Santner came out to bat next.
New Zealand were 53/5 in 20 overs now. Axar continued and kept the pressure on the scoring rate. Brar continued and kept things under check. Axar continued as Santner leaned into the ball and lofted it over mid-off for a boundary. Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack next for a fresh spell. Mitchell helped it on its way to pull it down to long leg for a boundary. Anshul Kamboj came back into the attack for a fresh spell. He bowled a decent over.
New Zealand were 72/5 in 25 overs with Mitchell unbeaten on 33 off 63 balls alongside Santner unbeaten on 10 off 14 balls.
Daryl Mitchell fights for New Zealand, but India through Gurnoor Brar’s 4-wicket haul restricts New Zealand to 134 in 41 overs.Â
Arshdeep Singh continued and bowled a decent over. Anshul Kamboj continued and bowled another decent over. Arshdeep continued and bowled a decent over despite conceding a wide. New Zealand were 84/5 in 28 overs when we paused for Drinks. Axar Patel returned to the attack and kept things under check. Auqib Nabi returned to the bowling crease as Mitchell took him on with a pull over deep midwicket for the maximum. Nabi continued and bowled a better over.
Axar continued as Santner took him on as he got down on one knee and swept it over deep square leg for the maximum. Nabi continued as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 31.2 overs. Axar continued as the 50-run stand came up between the duo, Gurnoor Brar came back into the attack as Mitchell backed away and looked to swing hard and got a top edge that flew over the keeper Rahul for a boundary at deep third man. Mitchell reached his fifty in 97 balls, his 7th 50 + score against India in 13 innings. Brar bowled a decent over as well.
Axar continued and got rid of the big fish as Mitchell was dismissed for 55 off 104 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name as Kamboj took the catch in the deep. Nathan Smith came out to bat next. Brar continued and bowled a wide while Santner backed away and pulled it over deep backward square leg for the maximum. Brar got his revenge as he dismissed Santner for 31 off 38 balls with one four and two sixes to his name with a nick through to the keeper. Kyle Jamieson came out to bat next and got off the mark next.
Axar Patel continued and bowled a miserly over. Brar continued as Jamieson backed away and made room to send it over mid-off for a boundary. Jamieson was hit on the helmet as a concussion check was done. Brar bowled a wide but kept things tight. Axar continued and knocked Jamieson for 7 off 14 balls with one four to his name. Blair Tickner came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Brar came to bowl his final over and conceded a wide and then dismissed Smith for 3 off 9 balls with Rohit taking the catch at slip.
Jacob Duffy came out to bat next. New Zealand were 132/9 in 40 overs. Kamboj came back into the attack and hit Tickner on the helmet as another concussion check was done on him Kamboj then cleaned up Tickner for 2 off 5 balls. Duffy was unbeaten on 1 off 3 balls as New Zealand were bowled out for 134 in 41 overs. 11 extras conceded by the bowling side.
Gurnoor Brar was the pick of the bowlers for India with figures of 4/30 in 10 overs. Auqib Nabi finished with 2/31 in 7 overs. Anshul Kamboj finished with 2/25 in 8 overs. Axar Patel finished with 2/28 in 9 overs. Arshdeep Singh bowled 7 overs for 16 runs. So, the target now for India was 135 runs to win in 47 overs to go 2-0 up in the 5-match ODI series
Who’s Winning, India or New Zealand?
The pitch conditions in Wellington is challenging and variable and it is two-paced for sure. So, it won’t be a cakewalk for New Zealand. Having said that, this is a below par batting display. 134 in 41 overs is a below par effort. India will fancy chasing 135 in 47 overs. They will have to apply themselves as the required rate is not an issue here. New Zealand needs early wickets to spice this game up. But in the interval, it’s advantage India for sure.
Let’s see how this chase unfolds from here.
Also Read: NZ vs IND: Virat Kohli’s Masterful 80th Fifty Outfoxes New Zealand