Stunned by spin on opening night

Kiwi spinners rout India for 79 as batsmen flounder on a turning Nagpur pitch

NAGPUR: Displaying their renowned fighting spirit, New Zealand tore down the pre-tournament form book by inflicting a humiliating 47-run defeat on title favourites and hosts India at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium on Tuesday.

Routed for 79 in chase of New Zealand’s modest 126, it was only India’s second defeat in Twenty20 internationals this year. The first was at Pune against Sri Lanka where the wicket came under the scanner for being too pacer-friendly. Here, the playing surface was again under the lens. This time the curator seems to have overdone in his attempt to provide the home team the advantage by preparing a turning track.

However, the designs lay exposed when the hunters became the hunted.

PATHETIC PITCH

sIt must have been embarrassing for the International Cricket Council president from Nagpur, Shashank Manohar, to see his forces falter for the second straight game. During the last Test match here against South Africa, the pitch was a rank turner and was rated ‘poor’ by the ICC.

First of all, New Zealand did well by reading the pitch correctly. Despite assurances that being an ICC event there would be no attempt to favour the home team by preparing a turner, the Kiwis showed that they knew better.

New skipper Kane Williamson included three spinners in his eleven. Left-arm Mitchell Santner, leggie Ish Sodhi and off-spinner Nathan McCullum were the wreckers-in-chief with nine wickets between them. They were almost unplayable, making batsmen like Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan look silly.

It was going to be a real test for young captain Williamson. Defending 126 against Indian batting line-up was considered an impossible task. However, he showed a far wiser head than his 25-years would suggest. In the end, the rockstars were left to lick their wounds.

The procession was started by McCullum as Williamson adopted Dhoni’s template and opened with an off-spinner and left-arm pacer. The off-spinner had Shikhar leg before in the first over, but no one had an inkling of what was to come. Only when Rohit was stumped making a lazy attempt to step out against Santner in the third over of the innings that the alarm bells started ringing. The famous Kiwi fighting spirit was back on show and Suresh Raina was out three balls later to reduce India to 12 for three.

Only four boundaries and one six were scored in the Indian innings. The loss will also hurt India’s net run rate in the tough group.

PRATHAM GOKHALE/ HT The game was expected to provide a perfect opportunity for India to kick off the campaign. But it ended in dismay after the batsmen were undone by the Kiwi spinners.