IND vs NZ, 2nd ODI: India 111 for 2 (Rohit 51, Gill 40*) beat New Zealand 108 (Phillips 36, Shami 3-18, Washington 2-7, Hardik 2-16) by eight wickets

India romped to an eight-wicket victory in Raipur on the back of an inspired performance from their quick bowlers to take the series 2-0 with one match remaining after a thrilling last-over finish in Hyderabad. In their international debut at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium, India’s dominance got off to a strong start when they bowled New Zealand out for 108 in 35 overs. Additionally, matters were helped by two sharp returns.

After captain Rohit Sharma’s 51 off 50 with seven fours and two sixes and Shubman Gill and Ishan Kishan seeing the hosts through, India chased it down in 20.1 overs. India had won the bilateral ODI series seven times in a row at home.

After India won the toss, stupendous Test-style bowling from Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj caused the early damage, reducing New Zealand to 9 for 3. Hardik Pandya bowled three maidens and went 2 for 16 in six overs as New Zealand fell to 15 for 5 after 10.3 overs, with their top five falling by more than a run. With the assistance of Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell, Glenn Phillips was able to push the score past 100, but 108 was too low to challenge a team that had scored 349 and 390 in their previous two games.

India 🇮🇳 win the 2nd ODI against NZ
by 8 wickets to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the 3 match series.#indiancricket #nzcricket #indiancricketteam #indiancricketteam🇮🇳 #indiancricketfans #shami #IndvsNZ2ndODI #INDVSNZ pic.twitter.com/fft4FiozAk

— Mukul Kadolkar (@sports_magica) January 21, 2023

After a few outswingers, Shami hit the first one, which came in and bowled Finn Allen for a duck in the first over. Henry Nicholls won the first slip in the sixth over thanks to Siraj’s wobble seam and his swing, which tied up the top order.

Shami caught a sharp return catch with his left hand off Daryl Mitchell four balls after Nicholls fell, completing his first innings with 4-1-5-2, while Siraj recorded 4-1-4-1. After being brought on, Shardul Thakur and Hardik both made inroads and continued to exert pressure on the visitors.

The first boundary of the innings by Devon Conway in the ninth over calmed some nerves, but Hardik sent him back with another one-handed return catch in the next over. Thakur also scored when Gill got his second catch at first slip from Tom Latham, who had left nearly half of his first 16 balls.

India’s lowest total of five wickets in a men’s one-day international was 15, and New Zealand’s lowest total was five down

Phillips, Bracewell, and Santner all briefly bothered India. Before Bracewell hit consecutive low full-tosses for fours off Shami in the 19th over, Phillips started with back-to-back fours off Hardik, one of which was a top edge over the wicketkeeper. When Bracewell nicked behind for 22, Shami changed directions immediately and hit a bouncer from over the wicket. This put an end to the 41-run partnership.

Due to the two lives that Santner saved from Kuldeep Yadav, Phillips and Santner completed a patient stand of 47 from 56 for 6. The first occurred when Rohit dived to his right at midwicket and was unable to capitalize on a difficult opportunity. Kuldeep then missed an easier return opportunity despite having both hands on the ball above his head.

Throughout his 36 minutes, Phillips scored well with boundaries whenever he received loose deliveries from Thakur. After the halfway point of the innings, Santner also contributed with two fours off Kuldeep, but he was bowled shortly after New Zealand reached 100.

New Zealand collapsed once more after Hardik started the 31st over with a slower 112.8 kph ball that Santner hit off the inside edge. Phillips and Lockie Ferguson were run out to deep midwicket after Washington Sundar hit two long balls, and Kuldeep caught Blair Tickner in front in the eighth over to end the innings.

Rohit and Gill began the chase with patience as the new ball swung around. However, Rohit quickly became the aggressor, pulling Ferguson for six in the fifth over and pulling Henry Shipley for a pull in the second over. Rohit would either unleash another pull or create room to dispatch the ball on the off side whenever the scoring for India would slow down. He made a stunning six over the covers off Tickner. While Gill waited more patiently for the loose balls to pick boundaries, Rohit also used the cut perfectly to collect boundaries. Rohit also swept and reverse swept Santner for a fifty off 47 balls, but a Shipley delivery stayed low in front of off stump, trapping him lbw.

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After hitting Shipley with two fours, Kohli was stumped by Santner for 11, and Kishan and Gill sealed the victory by hitting three fours in 11 balls.