Auckland: The imposing Gurnoor Brar repaid skipper Shubman Gill’s faith by intimidating the New Zealand batters with speed and disconcerting bounce as India’s young pace attack, led by the consistent Arshdeep Singh, dismissed the hosts for a below-par 185 in the first ODI in Auckland Wednesday.
The home team could not play out its full quota of 50 overs and was sent packing in 40.2 overs.
With India’s first choice troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna not available due to workload management and injury-related issues, it was the Punjab duo of Arshdeep (4/70 in 10 overs) and Gurnoor (3/44 in 9.2 overs), which took up the mantle of unsettling the Black Caps on a good Eden Park surface after Gill opted to field.
The unusually short and straight dimensions of the ground do create issues but Arshdeep hit the perfect length, bowling to the field with relentless accuracy.
Anshul Kamboj (2/22 in 10 overs) was also superbly steady during middle overs, something that will make head coach Gautam Gambhir proud of his punt to go in with three literal greenhorns. He bowled an eye-popping 46 dot balls in his 10-over spell.
Arshdeep got a couple of wickets inside the powerplay as New Zealand managed just 45 for 2 in the first 10 overs.
Because of Gurnoor’s pace and bounce, Gill introduced him after the field restrictions eased and the 6 feet 5 inch Chandigarh-lad repeatedly challenged the batters with his back of length deliveries.
He got a couple of wickets, including a sharp reflex return catch to send back Tom Latham. At the halfway stage, New Zealand were staring down the barrel at 109 for 5.
Auqib Nabi was the unlucky one when Tim Seifert (38 off 43 balls) offered a regulation catch to Naman Dhir at mid-wicket but he bungled it.
It was Will Young (9), who was first to be dismissed as Arshdeep slightly shortened the length. The ball got big on the batter as he skied an attempted pull shot with Shreyas Iyer completing the formalities.
Henry Nicholls (9) didn’t look too comfortable and he also couldn’t connect an attempted pull shot with Dhir not making any mistake this time.
Seifert, who was coming off a century in the last T20I, did hit a ramp shot off Nabi behind the keeper for a six and also lofted Gurnoor when he went a touch fuller but he too didn’t look in good nick.
It was a short ball from Gurnoor that Seifert mis-timed as substitute Ruturaj Gaikwad held onto a dolly at mid-on.
Gurnoor then dismissed the dependable Tom Latham as he tried to check his uppish drive and the return catch stuck to the bowler’s outstretched left palm. He was on his follow through and it was a brilliant reflex effort by Gurnoor.
Once four wickets were gone, it was very easy to put New Zealand on the back-foot. The in-form pair of Daryl Mitchell (28) and Glenn Phillips (30) were expected to resurrect the crumbling innings.
But Rohit Sharma’s alertness and KL Rahul’s quick glove-work saw the back of Mitchell as he and Phillips attempted a quick single.
With half of the New Zealand team back in the hut for less than 100 on a good batting surface, Kamboj added to the pressure by raising the dot ball volumes and getting his share of breakthroughs while doing so.
Skipper Mitchell Santner was played on and Virat Kohli took an absolute stunner at second slip to get rid of Nathan Smith.
Tickner then chanced his arms, striking three sixes off Arshdeep’s last over, to get the home team past 180-run mark.
PTI
