The Eden Park pitch had been described as “full of runs”, but it offered more bounce and pace than even New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner had anticipated. The hard length troubled almost every batter, with one notable exception: Virat Kohli. Against deliveries pitched back of a length or shorter, Kohli scored 43 off just 25 balls, hitting seven fours and a six. The rest of the Indian batting line-up managed only 108 runs off 150 deliveries while losing seven wickets.
Kohli’s innings proved decisive on a tricky surface in Auckland. His 74 off 51 balls helped India secure a five-wicket win over New Zealand via the DLS method in the first ODI, giving them a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Chasing a revised target of 143 in 32 overs after two rain interruptions, India reached the target in 22.4 overs.
The defeat also marked the first time in 12 home ODI series that New Zealand had lost the opening match. The previous instance came against India in January 2019, which also remains the last time New Zealand lost a bilateral ODI series at home.
Before Kohli took charge of the chase, India’s seamers had laid the foundation by exploiting the movement and bounce on offer. They bowled New Zealand out for 185 in 40.2 overs, with Arshdeep Singh returning figures of 4 for 70 and Gurnoor Brar taking 3 for 44. Anshul Kamboj, who was named Player of the Match, was particularly economical, conceding just 22 runs in his 10 overs while claiming two wickets. A 39-run last-wicket partnership between Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy, the highest stand of New Zealand’s innings, prevented the hosts from being bowled out for an even smaller total.
Arshdeep, Brar and Kamboj dismantle New Zealand
A passing shower delayed the toss by 10 minutes before India captain Shubman Gill elected to bowl under overcast skies. Arshdeep struck twice inside the first nine overs, removing Will Young and Henry Nicholls with short-pitched deliveries.
Brar tightened India’s grip after being introduced in the 13th over, dismissing Tim Seifert and Tom Latham. Daryl Mitchell, who had scored four centuries and two half-centuries in his previous seven innings against India, was then run out following a mix-up with Glenn Phillips. Rohit Sharma’s sharp throw helped complete the dismissal.
Kamboj, meanwhile, used the wobble ball effectively to strike twice in three overs. Santner inside-edged one onto his pad, and the ball spun back to hit the stumps. Nathan Smith was then caught by a diving Kohli at second slip, leaving New Zealand struggling at 115/7.
Phillips made 30 off 51 deliveries before Arshdeep ended his resistance. Tickner provided some late entertainment with four sixes, equalling the record for the most sixes by a No. 11 in an ODI innings, as New Zealand managed to cross 180.
Kohli takes charge after Rohit’s early dismissal
India’s chase got off to a poor start when Rohit Sharma chipped Kyle Jamieson to mid-off in the opening over and departed for a six-ball duck.
Kohli and Gill initially found it difficult to settle, with both batters beaten by the movement off the surface. New Zealand kept the scoring in check, conceding just 14 runs in a five-over spell at one stage. Kohli eventually broke a 19-ball boundary drought with a pick-up pull off Jacob Duffy before following it up with an inside-out drive over extra cover against Jamieson.
Rain interrupted play when India were 55/1 in the 11th over. The visitors initially returned with a revised target of 167 in 40 overs, but another interruption followed after just seven deliveries. Gill was even heard telling umpire Paul Reiffel that he was having difficulty seeing the ball. When play resumed, the target had been reduced to 143 from 32 overs.
Kohli shifted gears after the second interruption. The short ball, which had troubled several batters, became a scoring opportunity for the former India captain as New Zealand’s pacers continued to target the hard length. He swivel-pulled Jamieson for four and then sent Tickner over midwicket for six. Another pull through deep midwicket brought up his 80th ODI half-century, off just 35 deliveries, his second-fastest in away ODIs.
Gill, who had taken time to settle, played the supporting role as the pair added 113 runs for the second wicket. It was their sixth century partnership in 27 ODI innings together and took India to within 29 runs of the revised target.
New Zealand fight back, but India stay ahead of DLS par
New Zealand found some late success, although the breakthrough came too late to seriously threaten India’s position. Gill top-edged a pull off Smith to trigger a brief collapse.
In the following over, Kohli charged at Duffy and hammered him over his head for four. However, three balls later, he miscued a short delivery to deep square leg. Off the final ball of the same over, Phillips produced a spectacular one-handed diving catch at backward point to dismiss Axar Patel for a duck.
India had lost three wickets for just 10 runs in 11 deliveries, but they remained 45 runs ahead of the DLS par score at the end of the 20th over.
Shreyas Iyer, who had struggled against the short ball, briefly eased the pressure by hooking Duffy for six before falling for 15 to a catch at short midwicket. Naman Dhir then ensured there were no further hiccups, pulling a boundary to seal India’s five-wicket victory.
Brief scores: New Zealand 185 in 40.2 overs (Tim Seifert 38, Blair Tickner 34; Arshdeep Singh 4/70, Gurnoor Brar 3/44, Anshul Kamboj 2/22) lost to India 143/5 in 22.4 overs (Virat Kohli 74; Jacob Duffy 3/49) by five wickets (DLS method).
