New Zealand v India 2020: 3rd ODI, Mount Maunganui | 3 reasons why the Kiwis won
The New Zealand cricket team thrashed India by 5 wickets to complete a rare whitewash over the ‘Men in Blue’ in the 3-match ODI series. The Kiwis are indeed back and will have the momentum in their favour going into the Test series against the Indians.
The Indian team scored 296 batting first, but the Black Caps made light work of the target and romped home with almost 3 overs to spare. It was a clinical display by the hosts, and this victory will go a long way in restoring the confidence in the side after the 0-5 drubbing that they received at the hands of the Indians in the T20 series.
In this article, let us look at three reasons why New Zealand won the match at the Bay Oval.
#3 The opening partnership between Guptill and Nicholls
Whenever a side is chasing a challenging total, the team would always need its openers to give them a good start. That is exactly what New Zealand got from their openers. Martin Guptill and Henry Nicholls put on 106 runs for the first wicket, and laid a solid foundation for the other batsmen to build on. Their partnership also came in quick time, and they did not allow any of the Indian bowlers to settle down.
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While Guptill raced his way to 66 off just 46 balls, Nicholls scored a sedate 80 off 103 balls. As Guptill went all guns blazing, Nicholls held the innings together. It was aggression from Guptill, and caution from Nicholls. It was the ideal start from the openers at the top of the order that completely deflated India.
Nicholls was awarded the man of the match award for his sedate knock.