Team India came out on top by five wickets in the first ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park on Wednesday, November 4. With the victory, the Men in Blue took a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field, after which the Black Caps were restricted to just 185. The visitors comfortably chased down the total with 56 balls to spare in a rain-curtailed chase.
On that note, here are two Indian players who starred and one who flopped in the first ODI against New Zealand.
#3 Star – Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli seems to have reached an unprecedented peak in his ODI career. The superstar batter is timing the ball better than he ever has in the format, and the tempo at which he’s batting has been nothing short of extraordinary.
In tricky batting conditions, where the New Zealand bowlers got some pace and bounce, Kohli was in his element. He overcame the wicket of Rohit Sharma in the very first over with some sparkling shots on both sides of the wicket, taking the Men in Blue to the brink of victory.
#2 Flop – Shreyas Iyer
At No. 4, though, Shreyas Iyer struggled majorly. He lasted 13 balls, and the scorecard reads one four and one six. However, it was a wholly unconvincing performance from the batter.
Shreyas seemed all at sea against the Kiwi pacers, who hit a hard length and got the ball to nip around. He barely middled a delivery before finally finding midwicket with an ill-executed pull shot. With the next World Cup scheduled to be held in South Africa, the right-hander may not be the right man for the job in the middle order.
#1 Star – Anshul Kamboj
Getting a chance to showcase his wares as a bowling all-rounder, Anshul Kamboj wasn’t required with the bat. In the first innings, he displayed great control over line and length to walk away with the Player of the Match award.
Kamboj’s accuracy helped him pick up two wickets, and he gave barely anything away. His 10 overs went for just 22 runs, and the Kiwi batters didn’t have any loose deliveries to capitalize upon. The seam bowler also extracted lateral movement off the pitch in both directions.
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Edited by Sai Krishna
