Nair, Rahul star as Kiwis get first taste of struggle in India

MUMBAI: The Indian Board President’s XI handed the touring New Zealand cricket team a 30-run defeat in the first of two one-day warm-up games played at the Brabourne Stadium.

Sparkling fifties from openers KL Rahul (68) and Prithvi Shaw (66) provided the Board President’s XI the early advantage, before Karun Nair topscored with 78 off 64 balls with 12 fours.

The Board President’s XI amassed 295 for nine and then bowled out the visitors for 265 in 47.4 overs. New Zealand leftarm paceman Trent Boult stood out, returning figures of 9-038-5, but it only helped to peg the home team under 300 despite Board President’s XI reaching 147 for 1 in 25.1 overs.

With spectators not allowed inside the Brabourne Stadium, the young Indian cricketers had no one to cheer for them as they outplayed the New Zealand side.

Shahbaz Nadeem and Avesh Khan, who played only as bowlers, got together to break New Zealand’s resistance. Left-arm spinner Nadeem took two wickets in three balls in the 41st over.

Pace bowler Avesh, whose wayward bowling was punished by Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson (47) early on, returned for a second spell to get rid of Ross Taylor (34) and took a fine catch to remove Tom Latham (59).

New Zealand batsmen were guilty of not converting starts, from Martin Guptill onwards.

He was aggressive in the beginning, but a mishit ended his stay. Williamson played an almost run-a-ball innings, Taylor’s knock was laborious while Latham fell at the wrong time to undermine the chase.

There was a flurry of wickets towards the end with Nadeem cleaning up Adam Milne (2) and Tim Southee (0), and left-arm paceman Jaydev Unadkat removing Mitchell Santner (26).

The Kiwis were sloppy in the field with Latham missing a stumping chance off Rahul, who got another lifeline after Southee, having had him caught at square leg, was found to have overstepped.

New Zealand lost the services of leg-spinner Todd Astle three balls into his first over due to a groin strain.

BRIEF SCORES

BP XI 295/9 (K Nair 78, KL Rahul 68, T Boult 5/38) beat NZ 265 (T Latham 59, K Williamson 47, S Nadeem 3/41)