[Watch] New Zealand players presented with Chhattisgarh's Rajkiya Gamchas ahead of 2nd ODI vs India
New Zealand landed in Raipur on Thursday, January 19, ahead of the upcoming second ODI of the ongoing three-match series against India. The second ODI between India and New Zealand is set to be played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium on Saturday, January 21.
The visiting side received a special welcome as they were presented with Chhattisgarh's Rajkiya Gamchas (a traditional cotton towel). Kiwi cricketers also looked delighted with the treatment they received.
You can watch the video of the New Zealand team's arrival in Raipur below:
Notably, New Zealand need to win the second ODI to keep themselves alive in the three-match series. The visitors suffered a heartbreaking loss in the series opener, falling 12 runs short of India's 349-run total.
Kiwi all-rounder Michael Bracewell almost won the game for his team with a whirlwind 140-run knock in 78 deliveries. The swashbuckler was dismissed by Shardul Thakur in the final over, and the Men in Blue secured a thrilling 12-run victory to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
Indian opener Shubman Gill was adjudged the Player of the Match for his battling exploits. The right-handed batter aggregated 208 runs off 149 balls, becoming the youngest ever to hit an ODI double century.
"I was optimistic we could win the game" - New Zealand all-rounder Michael Bracewell on his quick-fire knock
Reacting to his batting performance in the first ODI of the series against India, Michael Bracewell stated that he was confident of leading his side to victory when he walked out to bat.
The left-handed batter stated that he wasn't feeling a lot of pressure, given that the side had already lost a lot of wickets. Bracewell mentioned that his aim was to rebuild the innings and steady the ship for his side.
"It takes the pressure off a little when you’re losing so many wickets," he was quoted as saying by Stuff.co.nz. "You’ve just got to try and rebuild and you can’t get too far ahead of yourself. When I walked out, I was optimistic we could win the game. We were just trying to give ourselves a chance.
"We managed to put a wee partnership on at the end but unfortunately, it wasn't quite enough – we fell 12 runs short, which is a bit of a bummer really."
What a start to the series. Michael Bracewell pushes the team close to a record chase with 140 from just 78 balls. Scorecard | on.nzc.nz/3CWI0A0 #INDvNZ https://t.co/o2HrRml5aL
Bracewell gave New Zealand a glimmer of hope with his stunning 162-run partnership with Mitchell Santner. However, his efforts went in vain as the visitors failed to cross the finishing line.