Tag: India vs New Zealand

AHMEDABAD: Opener Shubman Gill smashed an unbeaten 126 to help India clinch the T20 international series against New Zealand with a crushing 168-run victory in the decider on Wednesday.

Gill recorded his maiden T20 century for India as he steered the team to 234-4 after they elected to bat first at the world’s biggest cricket ground in Ahmedabad.

Indian bowlers skittled out the Kiwis for a paltry 66 in 12.1 overs for a 2-1 series win. The hosts had whitewashed the Kiwis in three one-day matches.

The huge victory was India’s biggest ever in T20 internationals and the biggest margin by runs in a match played between two Test-playing nations.

India elected to bat first on a batting-friendly pitch and Gill continued his magnificent run of form — hitting 12 fours and seven sixes in his 63-ball innings.

He had also put the New Zealand bowling to the sword with a double hundred and a ton during the ODI series.

Gill put on 103 runs for the fourth wicket with skipper Hardik Pandya, who made 30 and then took four wickets with his pace bowling, at the 132,000-seater Narendra Modi Stadium.

Off-spinner Michael Bracewell struck early as he trapped Ishan Kishan lbw for one in the second over of the innings.

Gill, 23, hit back with a flurry of boundaries including three in one over off Blair Tickner. Rahul Tripathi, who made 44, joined the charge as the two put on 80 runs.

Tripathi smashed three sixes including one off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi only to hole out next ball in another attempt to clear the ropes.

Gill, who became only the fifth Indian batsman to record centuries across all three formats, found another attacking partner in Suryakumar Yadav who smashed 24 off 13 balls as the two kept up the onslaught.

Tickner cut short Suryakumar’s stay with Bracewell taking a sharp catch at mid-on.

But the unstoppable Gill changed gears and raised his ton off 54 balls with a boundary as he took off his helmet and let off a roar.

New Zealand made a horrendous start to their mammoth chase as they lost their top four for just seven runs inside three overs as Arshdeep Singh struck twice in the second over of the innings.

Suryakumar took two spectacular catches at first slip off Pandya’s pace bowling to send back Finn Allen, for three, and Glenn Phillips, for two.

Tearaway quick Umran Malik bowled Bracewell before Daryl Mitchell, who made 35, and skipper Mitchell Santner attempted to resist.

Arshdeep, Umran and Shivam Mavi took two wickets each.

India will now head into the hotly-anticipated four-Test series against Australia starting February 9 in Nagpur.

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LUCKNOW: The chief groundsman of the Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow has been removed from his job after players and pundits complained of a shockingly slow and turning pitch for the second T20I between India and New Zealand.

The low-scoring match witnessed no sixes and remained equally hostile for batters on both sides while India chased the modest target of 100 with only one ball to spare. The wicket invited harsh criticism from all quarters with India captain Hardik Pandya calling it a “shocker of a pitch”.

The Indian media on Tuesday reported that the pitch curator, named Surinder was removed the next day of the match.

“The curator has been removed and replaced by Sanjeev Kumar Agarwal who is a very experienced curator,” reported an Indian news agency quoting a source in Uttar Pradesh Cricket Association (UPCA).

“A lot of domestic cricket was already played on all the centre wickets ahead of the T20I and the curator should have left one or two strips for an international game. The surface was overused and due to the bad weather, there was not enough (time) to prepare a fresh wicket,” it added.

The pitches used in the T20I series so far left Indian skipper Pandy unhappy about their below-par quality.

“To be honest, it was a shocker of a wicket,” he said after the second T20I.

“Both the games we have played on so far. I don’t mind difficult wickets. I am all up for that, but these two wickets are not made for T20. Somewhere down the line, the curators or the grounds that we are going to play in should make sure they prepare the pitches earlier.”

Currently, the series is level at 1-1 with the decider to be played in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

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LUCKNOW: Suryakumar Yadav hit an unbeaten 26 as India edged out New Zealand by six wickets in a low-scoring and tense second Twenty20 international, to level the series at 1-1 on Sunday.

India restricted New Zealand, who won the opener of the three-match series, to 99-8 with Yuzvendra Chahal leading the spin charge on a slow and turning pitch in Lucknow.

India then lost regular wickets as the Kiwi bowlers took it into the final over but Suryakumar, along with Hardik Pandya, anchored the tricky run chase to achieve the target with one ball to spare.

The match witnessed 30 overs of spin without a six being hit in either innings.

The series moves on to the decider in Ahmedabad on Wednesday.

Chahal, a leg-spinner who came in as the only change in the team from the opening loss, bowled the fourth over of the innings and started with a wicket maiden.

He bowled just two overs for four runs and a wicket but it set the tone for his fellow bowlers, with left-arm quick Arshdeep Singh taking two.

New Zealand opener Finn Allen attempted to take on the Indian bowling with two straight boundaries in the third over after they elected to bat first, but was bowled by Chahal as he tried a reverse sweep.

The reverse sweep also proved to be the undoing of the next two batsmen, with Devon Conway caught behind off Washington Sundar and then Glenn Phillips bowled by Deepak Hooda.

New Zealand were in trouble when previous-match hero Daryl Mitchell was bowled by left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, and slipped to 62-5 after a mid-pitch mix-up got Mark Chapman run out for 14.

Wickets kept tumbling and Arshdeep struck twice in one over to get into the New Zealand tail.

Skipper Mitchell Santner made an unbeaten 19 but could not help New Zealand avoid their lowest T20 score against India.

In reply, India lost Shubman Gill after the opener hit two boundaries but fell to Michael Bracewell’s off spin. He made 11.

Ishan Kishan was run out for 19 and the hosts looked in trouble when leg-spinner Ish Sodhi took down Rahul Tripathi for 13.

Suryakumar, a T20 sensation, stood firm and despite losing Washington Sundar to a run out steered the team home as he put on an unbeaten stand of 31 with Pandya, 15 not out.

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RANCHI: Opener Devon Conway and Daryl Mitchell hit quickfire fifties to set up a convincing 21-run victory for New Zealand in the first T20 international against India on Friday.

Left-hander Conway made 52 off 35 balls and Mitchell smashed an unbeaten 59 as the Kiwis posted 176-6 after being invited to bat first in Ranchi.

New Zealand, who suffered a 3-0 whitewash in the one-day internationals, restricted the hosts to 155-9 and took a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.

Skipper Mitchell Santner stood out with figures of 2-22 with his left-arm spin while fellow spinner Michael Bracewell and fast bowler Lockie Ferguson also took two wickets each.

The Black Caps started strongly after being invited to bat first, with Finn Allen striking four fours and two sixes in a brisk 35.

Spinner Washington Sundar cut short Allen’s stay as the batsman mistimed a hit to deep mid-wicket, and struck again in the over to get Mark Chapman caught and bowled for nought.

Conway took time before he changed gears and smashed tearaway quick Umran Malik for two fours and a six in the eighth over.

Conway kept up the charge with Glenn Phillips as the pair put on 60 before left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav broke through with the wicket of Phillips for 17.

Conway raised his fifty in 31 balls and found another attacking partner in Mitchell, who hit five sixes in his 30-ball blitz, as they added 36 for the fourth wicket.

Left-arm pace bowler Arshdeep Singh finally got Conway out in the 18th over, but was then hammered for three sixes and a four by Mitchell in a 27-run final over.

In reply, India lost their top three batsmen with just 15 on the board in 3.1 overs with off-spinner Bracewell striking first as he bowled the left-handed Ishan Kishan for four.

Two more wickets in the next two overs put India in trouble before Suryakumar Yadav (47) and Hardik Pandya (21) put the chase back on track in a partnership of 68.

Suryakumar, a T20 sensation for his all-round hitting, started with a flurry of boundaries but the pair played with a mix of caution and aggression.

Suryakumar got into the hitting mode, clubbing six fours and two sixes in his 47, before he mistimed a shot to long-on off leg-spinner Ish Sodhi. Pandya fell in the next over to Bracewell as the wheels came off the chase.

Sundar survived three dropped catches to hit 50 off 28 balls but found little support from the other end.

The second match is on Sunday in Lucknow.

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INDORE: Skipper Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill hit attacking centuries to help India sweep the one-day international series against New Zealand with a 90-run victory in the third match on Tuesday.

Rohit (101) and Gill (112) put on 212 for the opening wicket in Indore to guide the hosts to 385-9 after being invited to bat first in Indore.

In reply, Devon Conway’s 138 was in vain as India bowled out New Zealand for 295 in 41.2 overs for their second successive 3-0 whitewash and go top of the ODI rankings.

Rohit, who recorded his first ODI century since January 2020, and Gill stood out in the highest opening partnership by any team against the Kiwis in the 50-over format, surpassing the 201-run stand of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in 2009.

New Zealand’s bowlers hit back after the pair’s departure as India slipped to 293-5 before Hardik Pandya took charge, boosting the total with a 38-ball 54.

But it all started with Gill smashing Lockie Ferguson for four fours and a six in a 22-run eighth over and Rohit joined the party with a few big hits over the fence.

Gill recorded his third 100-plus score in his last four ODI innings, taking off his helmet and basking in applause from the stands when he reached the milestone.

Michael Bracewell bowled Rohit and Blair Tickner sent back Gill in the next over and India soon lost regular wickets, despite a brisk 36 from Virat Kohli.

The left-handed Ishan Kishan was run out after a mix-up with Kohli, who soon fell to Jacob Duffy.

Pandya put on 54 for the seventh wicket with Shardul Thakur, who hit 25.

In reply, New Zealand lost Finn Allen on the second delivery of their chase after Pandya bowled the opener for nought.

Conway stood firm to add 106 for the second wicket with Henry Nicholls, who hit 42, and 78 for the third with Daryl Mitchell (24).

The left-handed Conway fought hard as wickets fell at the other end as he raised his third ODI hundred with a six off leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal.

Thakur dented New Zealand’s chase when he struck twice with successive deliveries, Mitchell caught behind and then skipper Tom Latham caught at mid-off.

Conway, who smashed 12 fours and eight sixes in his 100-ball blitz, looked unstoppable until tearaway quick Umran Malik got the batsman caught at mid-wicket.

Bracewell, who hit 26, and Mitchell Santner, who made 34, attempted to keep up the fight but Bracewell’s wicket off Kuldeep Yadav, who picked three wickets, spelt the end for the Black Caps.

The two teams will now play three Twenty20 internationals starting Friday in Ranchi.

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INDORE: India’s omission of star Virat Kohli and skipper Rohit Sharma from an upcoming Twenty20 series against New Zealand is only intended to give them a rest, coach Rahul Dravid said Monday.

The duo’s absence from two successive series had stoked rumours that Hardik Pandya would take over as regular T20 captain.

Pandya led the team to a 2-1 T20 series win over Sri Lanka earlier this month and has been named captain for the New Zealand matches, starting with Friday’s opener.

Speaking ahead of the final one-day international against New Zealand on Tuesday, Dravid said India would prioritise the 50-over format going into this year’s Cricket World Cup.

“There are certain priorities we need to give to certain white-ball tournaments,” said Dravid, whose team already have an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series, told reporters in Indore.

India host Australia for four Tests starting February 9, followed by three ODI matches.

“So the priority after last year’s T20 World Cup has been these six games and Virat has played all these six games and he will get a bit of a break along with Rohit,” Dravid said, referring to the ODIs against Sri Lanka and New Zeland.

Dravid was pressed further on India’s plans for a split captaincy in different formats.

“That’s a question you need to ask the selectors but as of now, I don’t think so,” the 50-year-old said.

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RAIPUR: Indian bowlers wreaked havoc over the New Zealand batting lineup by dismissing the touring side for a paltry 108 before openers led their side to a series-winning victory over New Zealand in the second ODI on Saturday.

Put into bat first, the New Zealand batting lineup endured a ruthless attack from the Indian bowlers and bundled out for a mere 108 runs in the 35th over despite Glenn Phillips’ fighting 36.

The touring side had a dismal start to their innings as they lost half of their batters for just 15 runs inside 11 overs.

The touring side could not recover from the shaky start and kept losing wickets at regular intervals before eventually, getting out for just 108.

Phillips offered a fightback with his gritty 36 off 52, while Michael Bracewell (22) and Mitchell Santner (27) remained the other notable run-getters for New Zealand.

Mohammed Shami led the bowling charge for India; picking up three wickets for just 18 runs, while Washington Sundar and Hardik Pandya took two each.

Set to chase 109, India sealed a comfortable victory for the loss of just two wickets with 179 balls to spare.

Indian openers Sharma and Shubman Gill laid a solid foundation for the run chase with a 72-run partnership before the skipper perished briefly after amassing his brisk half-century.

Sharma scored 51 off 50 deliveries with the help of seven boundaries and two sixes.

India then lost another wicket in a short span as their in-form batter Virat Kohli fell victim to Santner after managing to score just 11.

His dismissal, however, did not bother India’s pursuit much as Gill and Ishan Kishan eased through the hosts to the victory in the 21st over.

Gill remained unbeaten on 40 off 53, while Kishan scored eight not out.

For New Zealand, only Henry Shipley and Santner could pick up a wicket.

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DUBAI: India were penalized with a hefty fine for maintaining a slow over-rate in the opening ODI of the series against New Zealand, held in Hyderabad. 

International Cricket Council (ICC) on Friday announced that the Indian team was fined 60 per cent of its match fee for bowling three overs short of the target.

“India were ruled to be three overs short of their target by Javagal Srinath of the Emirates ICC Elite Panel of Match Referees. Time allowances were taken into consideration before arriving at the decision,” said ICC in a media release.

As per Article 2.22 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, players are fined 20 per cent of their match fee for every over their side fails to bowl in the allotted time.

“Rohit Sharma, the India captain, accepted the offence levelled by On-field umpires Anil Chaudhary and Nitin Menon, third umpire K N Ananthapadmanabhan and fourth umpire Jayaraman Madanagopal.” added the statement, maintaining that there was no need for a formal hearing.

It is worth mentioning here that India won a tight contest against New Zealand by 12 runs in the first ODI that witnessed a sensational double century from Shubman Gill and a valiant fightback, 140 off 78, from Michael Bracewell.

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HYDERABAD: Shubman Gill scored a brilliant 208 as India held on to beat New Zealand by 12 runs in the first one-day international in Hyderabad on Wednesday despite a blistering century from Michael Bracewell.

India looked to be coasting to victory with New Zealand in deep trouble at 131-6 while chasing 350 after opener Gill made just the 10th double hundred in ODI history.

“Watching Gill bat is fantastic, clean striking and no aerial shots. He’s such a free-flowing batsman,” said India captain Rohit Sharma.

All-rounder Bracewell responded by making 140 off 78 balls before falling in the final over when he was pinned leg before wicket by Shardul Thakur.

“To be honest, the way Bracewell was batting, we knew it was going to be a challenge,” added Rohit.

Disciplined early spells by India fast bowlers Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj restricted New Zealand before Bracewell’s late fireworks gave them hope of a sensational win.

“Bracewell’s was an amazing innings. The situation of the game and then play an innings like that… to put us in that situation was outstanding,” said New Zealand skipper Tom Latham.

“Disappointing to not get across the line.”

Finn Allen struck a breezy 40 at the top of the order but New Zealand were facing a heavy defeat once Siraj removed Latham for the sixth wicket.

Bracewell was then joined by left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner, who hit 57 of 45 balls as part of an impressive 162-run partnership before falling to Siraj.

Bracewell smacked 12 fours and 10 sixes but finished on the losing side as Siraj was the pick of the Indian bowlers with figures of 4-46.

Earlier, the 23-year-old Gill helped India post a formidable total of 349-8 after an innings spanning 149 balls and featuring 19 fours and nine sixes.

Rohit was the first man out for 34 and Virat Kohli soon followed for just eight after he was bowled by Santner.

Ishan Kishan, who made 210 last month against Bangladesh, was removed cheaply by Lockie Ferguson but Gill received timely support from Suryakumar Yadav (31) and Hardik Pandya (28).

He hit three straight sixes off Ferguson to bring up his double century before holing out to deep mid-wicket in the final over.

“I wasn’t thinking about 200 before I hit those sixes in the (49th) over. That’s when I thought I could get a double,” said Gill.

“I won’t call it a ‘wow’ feeling but it feels nice when the ball goes off the bat how you want it. There’s certainly a feeling of satisfaction.

“It has sunk in pretty well, this is certainly one of those things, like what dreams are made of.”

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HYDERABAD: Indian opener Shubhman Gill hit a career-best 208 to take his team to 349 for 8 in the first one-day international against New Zealand in Hyderabad on Wednesday. 

Gill anchored the innings capably before he fell in the last over, after hitting 19 fours and nine sixes in a 149-ball marathon of an innings, achieving his first double ton.

India’s other opener — and skipper — Rohit Sharma, who won the toss and decided to bat first, fell early after scoring 34 off 38 balls.

The team’s in-form star batsman Virat Kohli fell cheaply to Mitchell Santner’s left-arm spin after scoring eight runs.

India’s wicketkeeper-batsman Ishan Kishan scored only five runs before he fell to Lockie Ferguson’s pace in a mini middle-order collapse for the hosts.

Two cameos by Suryakumar Yadav, a 26-ball 31, and all-rounder Hardik Pandya, 28 of 38 balls, stitched two crucial partnerships with Gill for India in the first game of the three-match ODI series.

Santner, who took one wicket for 56 runs in his 10 overs, and Daryl Mitchell, with two wickets for 30 runs in his five overs, were the standout bowlers for New Zealand.

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