Tuesday, March 3, 2009

1st ODI: India thrash New Zealand by 53 runs (D/L)


NEW DELHI: India beat New Zealand by 53 runs according to the Duckworth Lewis method in the first ODI of the series at McLean Park in Napier on Tuesday. With this win, India took a 1-0 lead in the 5-match series.

Chasing a revised victory target of 216 in 28 overs, the Kiwis managed 162/9 in the game that was marred by two rain interruptions.

New Zealand lost 4 wickets in 5 balls to be reduced to 132/9 in 24.1 overs.

It was Harbhajan Singh who started the Kiwi slide when he took 3 wickets in 4 balls. Harbhajan first dismissed Martin Guptill went for the slog sweep but got the height not the distance as Gautam Gambhir took a fumbling catch. Next delivery, Neil Broom charged down the pitch, missed the straighter delivery and was stumped by Dhoni. Kyle Mills survived the hat-trick ball but edged the next delivery to first slip for Virender Sehwag to take the catch.

On the first delivery of the next over bowled by Zaheer Khan, Ian Butler edged to fine leg for Munaf Patel to take the catch.

The Kiwis lost their fifth wicket on the first ball when play resumed after the second rain interruption when Jacob Oram played a sweep and went for the run not knowing that the ball was up in the air just behind him and Mahendra Singh Dhoni ran him out.

The Kiwis lost their fourth wicket when Grant Elliott hit through the covers and went for two runs but was not fast enough to beat the throw from Virender Sehwag into the hands of Dhoni and was run out. The rain came down at that very moment.

New Zealand lost their third wicket in the form of Ross Taylor to be reduced to 81/3 in 15.5 overs.

Trying to break the shackles imposed by the Indian spinners, Taylor (31) went for a sweep shot but edged the Yusuf Pathan delivery to short fine leg for Sachin Tendulkar to take the catch. Taylor added 58 runs with Martin Guptill for the third wicket.

Praveen Kumar took two wickets to reduce New Zealand to 23/2 in 7.4 overs.

Praveen got the second breakthrough when Kiwi opener Jesse Ryder (11) hit high up in the air for Virender Sehwag to take the catch in the covers.

This was shortly after New Zealand got off to a worst start possible losing Brendon McCullum without any run on the board.

Praveen drew first blood for India in the second over when McCullum top edged to fine leg for Harbhajan Singh to take the catch.

Earlier, riding on half-centuries by Virender Sehwag, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Suresh Raina, India scored 273/4 in 38 overs.

Dhoni remained not out on 84 off 89 balls with six hits to fence, while Raina smashed 4 sixes and 5 fours in his quickfire knock of 66 that came off 39 balls.

Yusuf Pathan hit a six and 2 fours in his unbeaten knock of 20 that came off 10 balls.

The 100-run partnership between Dhoni and Raina came after India lost Yuvraj Singh and Sehwag in quick succession to be reduced to 131/3 in 22.4 overs.

India lost the third wicket when Dhoni flicked to deep mid-wicket and called Yuvraj for two who was not fast enough to beat the throw from Martin Guptill into the hands of his captain Daniel Vettori to run out the southpaw who scored 2 runs.

Sehwag smashed 77 off 56 balls before he was dismissed to reduce India to 121/2 in 18.2 overs.

Ross Taylor took a superb catch diving to his left to end Sehwag's innings and give New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori his first wicket. Sehwag hit a six and 11 fours in his belligerent knock.

Sehwag reached his 34th ODI fifty with a pull over square leg that was his eighth hit to the fence.

Ian Butler gave New Zealand the first breakthrough when he dismissed Sachin Tendulkar to put India at 69/1 in 9.4 overs.

Sachin edged a rising delivery into the hands of keeper Brendon McCullum after hitting 2 fours in his 23-ball 20.

Sehwag and Tendulkar resumed the Indian innings after the match was reduced to 38 overs per side.

According to revised playing conditions, three bowlers could bowl eight overs, and two could bowl seven. The first powerplay was of 8 overs, the bowling powerplay be of 4 overs and the batting powerplay be of 3 overs.

Rain stopped play after Sehwag and Tendulkar took India to 27/0 in 4.3 overs.

Sehwag was his usual aggressive self having raced to 23 off 19 balls with the help of 5 hits to the fence, while Tendulkar has looked more composed in his short stay at the crease and got off the mark with an on drive that fetched him three runs.

The rain interruption came after Dhoni won the toss and elected to bat first.


Soruce:http://cricket.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Specials/India-in-New-Zealand/News/1st-ODI-India-draw-first-blood-at-Napier/articleshow/4215628.cms?curpg=2

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