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A sloppy India lost the three-match ODI series against New Zealand 0-1 after rain washed out the third and final game . Chasing 220, New Zealand were cruising at 104/1 in 18 overs, 50 runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis par score, when rain interrupted the game yet again in the white-ball series.
Kane Williamson and Co, needing just 116 runs from as many as 32 overs, though had to be content with a ‘no result’ as the game was two overs short to be technically called complete.
Having won the first ODI in Auckland by seven wickets, New Zealand thus sealed the series 1-0. The second match in Hamilton, too, was abandoned after two stoppages.
Overall, only two matches in the six-ball white-ball series produced result, exposing the poor planning on part of the concerned authorities. The series was organised less than a week after the T20 World Cup in neighbouring Australia.
As for India, the series exposed their flawed selection policy.
It all began with an inspiring bowling show by the Kiwi pacers with comeback man Adam Milne (3/57) and Daryl Mitchell (7-0-25-3) bundling out India for 219 in 47.3 overs after Kane Williamson won a good toss at an overcast Hagley Oval.
The likes of Rishabh Pant (10 off 16 balls), Suryakumar Yadav (6; 10b) and Deepak Hooda (12; 25b) were the biggest failures as they lacked application and failed to bide time after Milne rocked the top-order.
Seeking to save the series, India found themselves in a spot of bother, losing half of the side in 25.3 overs.
But thanks to the efforts by Washington Sundar (51 off 64 balls; 5x4s, 1×6) and Shreyas Iyer (49; 59b) India managed to get past the 200-run mark.
Mline, who sat out the second ODI, took the opening duo of Shubman Gill (13; 22b) and Shikhar Dhawan (28; 45b) after Matt Henry stifled them with a tidy bowling display (10-2-29-0), before Mitchell and Tim Southee (8.3-1-36-2) wrapped up the issue.
Dhawan and his men were further disappointed by an inexperienced bowling attack as they struggled to get a breakthrough.
Finn Allen (57 from 54 balls; 8×4, 1×6) smashed his fourth ODI fifty and his 97-run opening partnership with Devon Conway (38) set the tone.
After a sedate start — 28 for no loss in 7 overs — they switched gears with Conway smashing Chahar for four boundaries in an over, before Allen took the attack to rookie pacer Umran Malik.
Dhawan struggled with his limited bowling options as the Kiwis shone in their own conditions. The Indian batters showed a lack of application as Milne and Mitchell led New Zealand’s fine bowling show.
The spin bowling all-rounder, who showed his mettle with the bat with a 37 not out from 16 balls in India’s 306 for 7 in the first ODI, anchored the show with his maiden ODI fifty after Iyer failed to convert a promising start.
Among the designated batters, only Iyer looked in control and played some delectable shots before being dismissed by a well-judged forward-running catch by Devon Conway off Lockie Ferguson’s bowling.
Iyer hit eight fluent boundaries during his 59-ball knock but fell one run short of fifty as India looked in deep trouble, losing half of their side for 121 runs.
Williamson stood out with his captaincy and cleverly rotated his bowlers. Asked to bat under overcast conditions, India had a slow and cautious start.
Gill, who looked fluent in the first two ODIs, curbed his stroke-making instinct and was five off 18 balls, while his senior partner Dhawan looked to attack.
Dhawan stepped out to Southee with disdain in the third over but the bowler bounced back with a maiden in his next over. Henry, on the other end, was at his tidy best.
The Indian openers began to break free towards the end of powerplay.
Gill began scoring with successive fours off Milne, but soon lost his patience and chipped one to the square leg for a soft dismissal.
Desperate to step up the run-rate, Dhawan played on to become Milne’s second victim.
Having taken T20 cricket by storm, Suryakumar failed to spend time in the middle and became Milne’s third scalp.
Hooda, who retained his spot despite criticism surrounding Sanju Samson’s axe in the second ODI, failed to impress yet again and got out for 12.
After Iyer failed to convert his start, India were in desperate need of a partnership with Sundar and Hooda in the middle.
But Hooda never looked in control and fell to a rising Southee delivery down the leg side.
