On this day in 2019: India win their first ODI series in New Zealand in a decade
India’s trip in 2019 to the land of the kiwis is one that will not be easily forgotten by any Indian fan. For, it was on this trip that the Indian side won their first ODI series on New Zealand soil in a decade, and annihilated the hosts 4-1 in their own backyard. And, the destruction was completed on 3rd February 2019.
In fact, when the two teams squared off in the fifth ODI, the series was already in the bag for the Indian side as they had won the first three games. But still, even in the fifth match, the ‘Men in Blue’ came out all guns blazing, taking nothing for granted.
The final nail
The Indian side won the toss and opted to bat first. They were rocked early, as they lost their first 3 wickets with just 17 runs on the board. But then, Ambati Rayudu stepped up for his side when it mattered. The right-hander scored a match-winning 90 off 113 deliveries and steadied the ship for the visitors. He forged crucial partnerships with Vijay Shankar and Kedar Jadhav. While Shankar scored a 64 ball 45, Jadhav scored a valuable 34. The Indian innings also got the much-needed impetus in the end, with Hardik Pandya going berserk.
Pandya smashed a rampaging 45 off just 22 balls, as India ended their first innings with a challenging total of 252 runs on the board. For New Zealand, Matt Henry was the pick of the bowlers, scalping 4 wickets.
2009: India last won an ODI series in New Zealand.
2019: India have taken an unassailable lead in the #NZvIND ODI series.Now, that’s a #10YearChallenge completed in style! ? pic.twitter.com/H4g0wEuNzh
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 28, 2019
New Zealand too, started their reply in poor fashion. After 10.2 overs, their scorecard read 38/3, and Henry Nicholls, Colin Munro and Ross Taylor were all back in the dugout. But then, Kane Williamson and Tom Latham forged a fighting stand of 67 runs for the fourth wicket, before Williamson was dismissed for 39. Immediately after Williamson fell, Latham was trapped in front of the stumps by Chahal. James Neesham kept the fight going, and scored a brisk 32 ball 44. But then, the left-hander was run out with New Zealand still 77 runs away from victory.
Even though Mitchell Santner held fort by scoring 22 off 37 deliveries, the kiwis eventually fell short of the target by 35 runs. Yuzvendra Chahal was the star with the ball for India, picking up 3 wickets and giving away 41 runs from his 10 overs. Ambati Rayudu was awarded the Man of the Match for his game-changing innings.
