India and New Zealand clashed in the second ODI of the three-match series which is being played at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, Raipur on January 21. India captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and chose to bowl.
Indian bowlers gave no leeway to New Zealand batters on a surface that was being used for an international cricket match for the first time ever. Mohammad Shami picked the wickets of Finn Allen (0) and Daryl Mitchell (1), while Mohammed Siraj removed Henry Nicholls (2).
Hardik Pandya then accounted for dangerous Devon Conway (7) and Shardul Thakur removed captain Tom Latham for 1 run. Then Glenn Phillips (36), Michael Bracewell (22), and Mitchell Santner (27) put some runs on the board to take New Zealand past the 100-run mark.
But then Washington Sundar picked two quick wickets and Kuldeep removed Blair Tickner to end the New Zealand innings for 108 runs.
Shami picked 3/18, while Hardik took 2/16 and Sundar took 2/7, while Siraj, Shardul, and Kuldeep took one wicket apiece.
Hardik had some words about his team’s and his own performance in the match, in a conversation with commentators after New Zealand innings.
He said: “A brilliant day to be honest, we used the wicket rightly and everything went well for us. That wasn't bad at all (on the return catch), my body is feeling better with every match, it's coming on nicely and timely as well. We hit the right areas, kept testing the batters, one of those days when the edges went to the fielders and we grabbed the catches. This isn't a 108-run wicket, but we took all our chances, Let the batters decide on how to bat, at the end of the day, it's their call on how to chase this down.”
(Star Sports inputs)
