India secured a convincing 40-run victory in the first one-day international against New Zealand yesterday, as Virat Kohli scored 105.
India’s total of 276 looked enough and New Zealand were out of contention at 169 for 8 after 36 overs, before a quick ninth-wicket partnership of 67 between Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills offered them a glimmer of hope, but McCullum’s dismissal in the 45th over allowed India to finish as the easy winners in gloomy conditions at the Nehru Stadium in Guwahati.
Kohli’s century was the highlight of the game, with the right-handed No. 3 scoring 100 off 100 balls, before falling to Andy McKay, New Zealand’s most effective bowler, caught by Jamie How in the 43rd over.
McKay pinned India back with four wickets for 62 runs as the hosts’ stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir scored 38, while Murali Vijay and Yusuf Pathan both chipped in with 29.
India’s regular captain M.S. Dhoni was rested along with other top stars such as Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh for the start of the five-match series.
New Zealand’s regular captain Daniel Vettori was also missing because of a stiff back following the three-game Test series between the teams, which India won 1-0 with victory in Nagpur.
Ross Taylor took over Vettori’s post and top scored with 66 as his side struggled to keep up with the required run rate of 5.66 an over.
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