NZ vs IND 2022: Hits and flops as New Zealand ease past India in the first ODI

Courtesy of a splendid partnership between Kane Williamson and Tom Latham, New Zealand powered to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the opening ODI against India on Friday, November 25.

After being put to bat first, the Indian openers in Shikhar Dhawan (72) and Shubman Gill (50) gave their side a perfect start, adding 124 runs for the first wicket. However, both batters were holed out during soft dismissals in a span of nine balls.

India were 160/4 in 32.5 overs when Shreyas Iyer (80) took the onus of providing the Men in Blue a much-needed finish. Iyer, alongside Sanju Samson (36), added 94 runs for the fifth-wicket, taking India's total towards 280. Then, a late blitzkrieg by Washington Sundar (37* from 16) propelled India to 306/7.

That's that from the 1st ODI.

New Zealand win by 7 wickets, lead the series 1-0.

Scorecard - bit.ly/NZvIND-1STODI #NZvIND https://t.co/HEtWL04inV

In reply, the hosts were under pressure at 88/3 in 19.5 overs when Tom Latham entered the crease and took charge of the game. In a sublime example of batsmanship, the wicket-keeper took a toll on the Indian bowlers and hammered 145* off 104 balls. Kane Williamson complemented Latham perfectly, as the Kiwi skipper remained unbeaten at 94 to hit the winning runs in the 48th over.

With a resounding win, New Zealand have taken a 1-0 lead in the ongoing three-match ODI series.

To complete the review of the match, let's take a look at the hits and flops from the game.

#4 Flop - Arshdeep Singh

New Zealand v India - 1st ODI [Pic Credit: Getty Images]

Following his superb stint in T20 internationals for India, Arshdeep Singh made his ODI debut on Friday against the Kiwis. However, the much-awaited game didn't go as planned for the left-arm pacer.

Arshdeep, who did wonders with the new ball in T20Is, failed to make any sort of a genuine chance in his first one-day match. Opening the innings for India, Arshdeep gave away 25 runs in the three overs he bowled inside the powerplay.

Dhawan then gave the 23-year-old two spells of two overs each, where his lines and lengths were off the mark and were rather easily put away by the Kiwi batters.

Going wicketless in his maiden ODI, Arshdeep gave away 68 runs at a poor economy of 8.3 (the most expensive in the game) in the 8.1 overs he bowled.

#3 Hit - Shreyas Iyer

Shreyas Iyer during New Zealand v India - 1st ODI

Following two poor T20Is to start off the series, Shreyas Iyer was back at his best on Friday.

After losing four wickets inside just 36 runs in the middle-overs, India needed someone to glue himself to the one end and keep motoring along the flow of runs as well.

Despite initially looking scratchy, Iyer did his job beautifully and scored a solid 76-ball 80, stomping four boundaries and as many sixes during his stay.

A sensible knock by Shreyas Iyer 🌟

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After the Mumbai lad pressed the accelerator in the 38th over, Iyer looked class apart and even found good company first with Sanju Samson and then with Washington Sundar to close the innings nicely.

With another brilliant batting display, Iyer now averages 62.9 in ODIs in 2022, amassing 556 runs across 11 innings so far this year.

#2 Flop - Rishabh Pant

Rishabh Pant's lean patch with the bat in white-ball cricket continued as he was dismissed for a 23-ball 15 in the opening ODI.

Coming at No. 4, Pant was tasked to consolidate the Indian innings alongside Iyer. However, the southpaw looked reckless right from the start, getting beaten on several occasions in attempts to slog the ball.

😞😞😞

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His foot movement looked out of sorts, which eventually led to his dismissal in the 33rd over off Lockie Ferguson. In order to heave a short-pitched ball over the leg-side, Pant only managed to get an under-edge that crashed onto his stumps.

Pant looked dejected as he walked back to the dressing room, failing to make use of another good opportunity in the ongoing tour of New Zealand.

#1 Hit - Kane Williamson and Tom Latham

The partnership that single-handedly pushed India out of the game came between Kane Williamson and Tom Latham, who stitched up an unbeaten stand of 221 runs from just 164 balls.

While it was calm and composed skipper Williamson at one end, the Indian bowlers faced really stormy innings from Latham.

Williamson, who entered the crease inside the powerplay, remained imperturbed and kept ticking along the singles and doubles to get to his 52nd 50-plus score (94 off 98).

Tom Latham won the “Man of the match” for his spectacular knock against India 🏏

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While the Kiwi skipper was moving along in a rather watchful manner, his partner in Latham displayed electrifying aggression to assert his dominance on the Indian bowlers. The southpaw seemed fluent right from the start and clobbered as many as 19 boundaries and five lusty maximums to reach his career-best ODI score of 145* from just 104.

The right-and-left-hand pair proved too much for the visitors, who succumbed to a sheer high-class batting display by Williamson and Latham.