Top 5 ODI knocks by New Zealand batsmen in India
The hammering of the Kiwis in the recently concluded test series versus India was not entirely unexpected. For long, the Indian Cricket team has had the reputation of being tigers at home and has pummeled the visiting teams ruthlessly on many occasions.
Like most teams, New Zealand too found the going tough on the Indian pitches regardless of the format of the game. Hence, India vs New Zealand head-to-head record in India is lopsided and clearly favours India.
However, the Black Caps managed to deliver some stunning individual performances and in this article, we take a look at five best knocks played by the Kiwi batsmen on the Indian turf in ODI cricket.
#1 Nathan Astle 120 (Rajkot 1999)
For almost a decade, Nathan Astle was a key cog at the top of the Kiwi batting order and undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s greatest ODI players. Astle racked up 16 hundreds in his ODI career, the highest for any New Zealander.
When in full flow, Astle could lay into any bowling attack with his uninhibited strokeplay and wreak maximum havoc in a very quick time.
Astle started off New Zealand’s tour of India in 1999 in great style by smashing a marvellous 120 in the first ODI. His knock was studded with 12 fours and 2 sixes and formed the cornerstone of New Zealand innings.
Faced with a mammoth target of 350, the Indian batsmen fought valiantly but fell well short of the victory thanks to Astle’s brilliant 3/40. For tormenting India with his batting and bowling, Astle bagged the ‘Man of the Match’ honour.
Not surprisingly, Astle still holds the record for the fastest double hundred in test cricket, a feat he accomplished when he blitzed a spectacular 222 in just 168 balls in a losing cause against England.