Finance
New Zealand off-spin all-rounder Michael Bracewell produced a stunning counter-attack with a 78-ball 140, but his fightback was in vain as India won by 12 runs in the first ODI here on Wednesday to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
New Zealand were in trouble at 131/6 after Shubman Gill produced a magnificent display of batsmanship to make 208 off 149 balls, laced with 19 fours and nine sixes, becoming the youngest batter to hit a double century in men’s ODIs.
Bracewell, who hit 12 fours and ten sixes in his 78-ball knock, took charge of the chase and added 162 off just 102 balls for the seventh wicket with Mitchell Santner, who made 57 off 45 balls.
India was put under immense pressure, and it required wickets from local lad Mohammed Siraj, who took 4/46, as well as Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur taking a wicket each at the end to give the hosts a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Santner gained momentum by dispatching anything overpitched and short to the boundary rope off Hardik and Washington Sundar, while Bracewell slashed, pulled, and swept well against spinners. In the 37th over, Shardul was brought back, and Bracewell hammered over extra cover for four before reaching his fifty with a pull over mid-wicket for six.
He continued to be harsh on Shardul and Kuldeep Yadav, playing with the field and easily establishing boundaries, with Santner joining in on the fun. Then there’s Bracewell attacked Washington, hitting him for sixes over long-off and wide long-on as New Zealand needed 103 off the last ten overs.
Mohammed Shami returned to end the partnership, but Bracewell moved across to scoop over fine leg for six. In the 43rd over, he smoked a six over long-on off Shami to complete his century in 58 balls. To reach fifty, Santner hit three boundaries off fast bowlers.
In the 46th over, Siraj brought India back into the game by having Santner miscue a pull to deep mid-wicket and then getting one to nip back in to rattle Henry Shipley’s stumps. Bracewell, on the other hand, stood tall, swinging off Hardik for sixes over mid-wicket and square leg in the 47th over before taking a four and six off Shami in the 48th.
Hardik Pandya kept Indian hopes alive by getting Lockie Ferguson to hole out to long-off in the 49th over, conceding only four runs. Bracewell hammered a short ball from Shardul over wide long-on for six before conceding a wide with 20 needed off the final over. Shardul completed the job for India by catching a Bracewell plumb lbw with a dipping yorker. India breathed a sigh of relief when DRS confirmed the ball had hit the stumps.
Pursuing 350 was always going to be difficult for New Zealand. Devon Conway and Finn Allen got started with a couple of constraints. Siraj, who was playing his first international match on his home turf, provided the breakthrough by having Conway pull a short ball to fine leg.
Henry Nicholls scored runs by hitting two boundaries off Shami, while Allen feasted on Hardik short balls, pulling through the vacant mid-wicket region for three fours and a six. Shardul eventually dismissed a dangerous Allen with a short ball pulled straight to deep midwicket.
Nicholls swept off Kuldeep, but the left-arm wristspinner bounced back with a googly on the next delivery. In his next over, he bowled Daryl Mitchell out, the ball spinning in and trapping the right-hander lbw in his crease.
New Zealand continued to crumble as a result of tight, disciplined bowling from both ends and an increase in asking rate. Glenn Phillips attempted to slog Shami, but the ball swung back in and hit the stumps after ricocheting off the batter’s back leg.
On the fourth ball of his second spell, Siraj struck, getting some extra bounce and forcing Tom Latham to pull towards a sliding deep square leg. Bracewell and Santner responded in spectacular fashion, only to fall short.
Brief Scores: India 349/8 in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 208, Rohit Sharma 34; Daryl Mitchell 2/30, Henry Shipley 2/74) beat New Zealand 337 all out in 49.2 overs (Michael Bracewell 140, Mitchell Santner 57, Mohammed Siraj 4/46, Kuldeep Yadav 2/43) by 12 runs
Source:OCN
