India restrict New Zealand to 230/9 in 2nd ODI

Disciplined bowling helped India to restrict New Zealand to 230/9 in the second One Day International match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Wednesday.

For New Zealand, middle-order batsmen Colin de Grandhomme (41) Henry Nicholls (42) and Tom Latham (38) were the major contributors.

Unlike the first match, all went good for the hosts. Their bowlers chipped in wickets at regular intervals and fielders also stepped up to the occasion and made some brilliant saves.

New Zealand batsmen, on the other hand, were struggling right from the start. Apart from three middle-order batsmen no other batsmen stick to the wicket for the longer duration.

Opting to bat, the visitors openers Martin Guptill (11) and Colin Munro (10) added 20 runs before pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar sent back experienced batsmen Guptill in the third over.

Soon, skipper Kane Williamson (3) also failed this time as he was adjudged leg before wicket off pacer Jasprit Bumrah in the sixth over. After adding two more runs, Munro was also bowled by Bhuvneshwar in the seventh over with scoreboard reading 27/3.

Last match stars Ross Taylor (21) and then Tom Latham (38), then came into the middle and started playing the ball to its merit. But just when things seemed good in the middle, Taylor was dismissed by Hardik Pandya in the 16th over.

Now, with top order back in the hut, it was now on middle-order batsmen. Latham and Henry Nicholls added 60 runs for the fifth wicket before Latham was sent packing by spinner Axar Patel.

Unperturbed by the fall of Latham's wicket, Nicholls and Grandhomme stabilise the New Zealand innings as they forged 47 runs to help their team to cross 160-run mark.

Pacer Bhuvneshwar once again came into the play as the pacer dismissed Nicholls when scoreboard was reading 188.

Grandhomme, however, continued to strike the ball but lack of support from the other end resulted in his wicket in the 44th over.

Lower-order batsmen Mitchell Santner (29) Adam Milne (0), Tim Southee (25 not out) also tried to pace up th innings at the end but only managed to add few runs and as a result New Zealand could only make 230 in their allotted 50 overs.

For India, pacers Bhuvneshwar Kumar scalped three wickets while Bumrah took two wickets.

Brief scores: New Zealand 230/9 ( Henry Nicholls 42, Colin de Grandhomme 41; Bhuvneshwar Kumar 3/45) against India.

--IANS

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