Captain Kohli braves heat, makes difference for India
FIRST ODI
Virat Kohli’s record 31st ODI century lifted India to 280 for eight against New Zealand in the first ODI of their three-match series on Sunday. Kohli scored a 125-ball 121 in an innings where the next best score was 37. The India skipper dropping anchor to ensure his team put a challenging total on board.
Kohli’s century at the Wankhede Stadium was his fifth in 2017, a year in which he is the only batsman to score 1,000 runs in ODI cricket. In fact, Kohli completed 1,300 runs with his knock in the first ODI on Sunday. Kohli also became the only batsman in ODI history after South Africa’s AB de Villiers to have score a century on his 200th ODI.
Electing to bat on a hot and humid day, India were off to a wobbly start with New Zealand left-arm paceman Trent Boult’s twin strikes sending back Shikhar Dhawan (9) and Rohit Sharma (20) inside the first six overs. Dhawan struggled against the bounce, edging one behind in the fourth over. Rohit looked in an inexplicable hurry to get runs, eventually paying the price with a false shot.
BOULT STRIKES EARLY
Boult’s opening spell proved too much for India to handle. He moved the ball both ways and generated extra bounce despite struggling with the heat. Boult, who took a five-wicket haul in the first warm-up game, knocked back Rohit’s off-stump with a good-length delivery as the batsman looking to swat the ball failing miserably. Boult finished
with 4 wickets.
Kedar Jadhav’s promotion did not change the fortunes for India, whose dependence on Kohli only increased with the No 4 failing to score freely. At a point when rotation of strike looked crucial, Jadhav looked stuck at the crease.
He executed a fine late cut in the 16th over to get his first boundary, but a meek return shot to Mitchell Santner the next ball ended Jadhav’s struggle.
The course of the game, however, would have been entirely different had Santner taken a regulation chance offered by Kohli at extra cover off Colin de Grandhomme. The dropped chance in the 19th over could prove the
MUMBAI: BOULT’S OPENING SPELL PROVED TOO MUCH FOR INDIA TO HANDLE. HE MOVED THE BALL BOTH WAYS AND GENERATED EXTRA BOUNCE
DESPITE STRUGGLING WITH THE HEAT