India romped to an eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in Raipur yesterday on the back of an inspired performance from their quick bowlers to take the ODI series 2-0 with one match to go.
India’s domination started with a display of swing and seam with great accuracy to bowl New Zealand out for 108 in under 35 overs in an international debut for the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium. Two sharp return catches also helped matters.
India chased down the target in 20.1 overs after a 51 off 50 from captain Rohit Sharma, who struck seven fours and two sixes before Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan saw the hosts through. It was India’s seventh consecutive bilateral ODI series win at home.
Stifling Test-match style bowling from Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj caused the early damage, after India won the toss, to reduce New Zealand to 9 for 3.
Hardik Pandya bowled three maidens and picked up 2 for 16 from six overs as New Zealand slipped to 15 for 5, with their top five falling in single digits, after 10.3 overs.
Glenn Phillips stretched the score past 100 with the help of Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner, but 108 was a total too low to trouble a team that had scored 349 and 390 in their last two games. (Cricinfo)
Scores:
New Zealand 108 (Phillips 36, Shami 3/18, Washington 2/7, Hardik 2/16)
India 111 for 2 (Rohit 51, Gill 40 n.o)