The New Zealand bowlers came together for the first time in the series against India to help their team win the second ODI by 22 runs at the Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday and take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in the three-match series.

Eden Park handshakes before we head to Bay Oval for ODI 3 #NZvIND pic.twitter.com/0Q2MU7KEXs

— BLACKCAPS (@BLACKCAPS) February 8, 2020

Advertisement

Senior bowler Tim Southee, who had a horrible T20I series and suffered a similar fate in the first ODI as well, led the attack with an exemplary figure of 2/41 which included an all-important wicket of Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

Chasing 274, India never looked on course as they lost the first half of the batting in only 96 runs. Mayank Agarwal (3 off 5) fell in the third over to Hamish Bennett and after a brisk stay at the middle the other opener Prithvi Shaw (24 off 19) was sent packing by debutant Kyle Jamieson.

Kohli and Shreyas Iyer tried to steady the ship but failed as the captain gave away his wicket to Southee. In-form batsmen KL Rahul had a rare odd day at the office and could not play more than 8 balls before Colin de Grandhomme got his wicket.

Kedar Jadhav continued his poor run of form and struggled for 27 balls before Southe showed him the door. Iyer and Ravindra Jadeja provided a minor fightback with a 33-run stand while the former completed his gritty half-century.

However, the 25-year-old’s party did not last more than 52 runs as Bennett got his second of the day. Jadeja, though, missed the opportunity to become the hero of the day despite putting a desperate effort.

In his 73-ball knock of 55 runs, he shared a 76-run partnership with Navdeep Saini. The latter played the innings of his life and scored 45 off 49 balls. After his dismissal, Jadeja joined hands with Yuzvendra Chahal but it was all too late as New Zealand bowlers held their nerves to restrict India at 251.

For the Blackcaps, Southee, Bennett, Jamieson and de Grandhomme took two wickets each while James Nessham contributed with a wicket and a run out of Chahal.

Earlier, put into bat first, Ross Taylor and Martin Guptill shone for them with the willow. Guptil gave the home team a perfect start with his run-a-ball innings of 79. He shared an opening stand of 93 runs with Henry Nicholls who made 41 off 59.

Guptill was undone by a brilliant fielding effort by Shardul Thakur who got the opener run out by KL Rahul. His innings was graced by eight boundaries and three sixes. His wicket opened the floodgate as the Indian bowlers ran an onslaught on the Kiwi line-up to take seven wickets in 55 runs and reduced to 197/8.

Meanwhile, Taylor brought forward all his experience and took debutant tailender Kyle Jamieson to bring some respite to his team. In his unbeaten innings of 73 runs, he registered an unbeaten partnership of 76 runs in 54 balls with Jamieson who made 25 off 24 deliveries as well.

Chahal was the pick of the Indian bowlers as he picked up three wickets, giving away 58 runs in his 10 overs. Thakur also picked two wickets, while Ravindra Jadeja scalped one giving away just 35 runs.