Indian bowlers dished out yet another listless performance as New Zealand scored an imposing 271 for seven in 42 overs in the rain-curtailed second one-dayer here today. As per Duckworth Lewis method, India will have to score 297 runs in the stipulated overs largely due to home team’s brutal assault in the death overs during which they scored a whopping 101 runs in 8.4 overs.
Kane Williamson set the platform with a polished knock of 77 helping all-rounder Corey Anderson to cut loose as he played a brilliant cameo smashing 44 off only 17 balls with five huge sixes. Skipper Ross Taylor also 57 off 56 balls with seven hits to the fence. For India, Mohammad Shami (3-55) was once again the most successful bowler. Bhuvneshwar Kumar (1-43), Ishant Sharma (1-46), Ravindra Jadeja (1-46) and Suresh Raina (1-18) took a wicket apiece while R Ashwin (0-50)’s poor form with the ball continued.
The lengthy rain break didn’t put the brakes on home team’s scoring although they lost five wickets post interval. Williamson and Taylor started off after the rain break, looking to up the ante immediately as the Kiwis had a little over eight overs left to play. The former though was stumped in the 34th over off Jadeja. Williamson’s 77 off 87 balls; with five fours and one six and he added 60 runs with Taylor. Skipper Brendon McCullum’s decision to send Anderson ahead of himself to take advantage of the bowling Powerplay was a good move.
Anderson made full use of it as he pummelled the Indian bowling for five sixes in his 17 ball stay, carting two each off Ashwin and Ishant. His 50-run partnership with Taylor came up in only 21 balls, and in total adding a massive 74 runs in 4.4 overs. His partner Taylor wasn’t quiet either, reaching his 26th ODI fifty in the process. The big-hitting all-rounder was out caught in the deep in the 39th over, but by then, he had done his job. Off the four Power play overs, 58 runs had come with the loss of just one wicket.
Bureau Report
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