Hyderabad: India dismissed New Zealand for 185 in 40.2 overs during the first One-Day International at Eden Park on Wednesday. After winning the toss, Indian captain Shubman Gill chose to field first, opting to test a youthful pace attack in the absence of senior fast bowlers Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj.
The tactical choice paid off immediately, as India maintained tight control over the scoring rate from the opening overs.Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh led the bowling effort, finishing with figures of 4 for 70 from ten overs. He struck early with the new ball, removing opening batters Will Young and Henry Nicholls through mistimed pull shots.
The tall newcomer Gurnoor Brar provided effective support from the other end, using his height to generate consistent bounce. Brar took 3 for 44 across 9.2 overs, dismissing Tim Seifert for 38 before taking a sharp return catch off his own bowling to send back Tom Latham.
New Zealand struggled to build lasting partnerships through the middle of the innings against steady bowling. Anshul Kamboj kept the scoring quiet with an economical spell of 2 for 22 in his full ten overs, which included 46 dot balls. Kamboj bowled Mitchell Santner and later had Nathan Smith caught by Virat Kohli at second slip.
India’s fielding remained sharp overall, highlighted by combined work from Rohit Sharma and wicketkeeper KL Rahul to run out Daryl Mitchell for 28.The hosts were reduced to 131 for 8 before lower-order batter Blair Tickner played a few attacking strokes, hitting three sixes off Arshdeep on his way to an unbeaten 34.
However, Brar returned to take the final wicket, closing out the innings well short of the allotted 50 overs. India will require 186 runs to secure a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
(With inputs from PTI and other media reports)