Rohit, Dhawan flay New Zealand
Mount Maunganui, New Zealand - India's celebrated opening pair Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan produced yet another century stand on Saturday to set up an overwhelming 90-run win in the second one-day international (ODI) against New Zealand.
Rohit put their match-winning effort at Mount Maunganui down to 'a great camaraderie' after the pair put on 154 for the first wicket at better than a run-a-ball. The flying start laid the platform for India's 324 for four before Kuldeep Yadav weaved his magic with the ball to roll New Zealand for 234.
Such a clinical demolition, following the equally dominant eight-wicket win in the first match, left New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson frustrated.
"It's not so much the losing it's probably just the way we're losing," Williamson said.
Rohit (87) and Dhawan (66) were rarely troubled in their stay at the crease which Rohit described as 'a great partnership'.
It was their 14th century stand from 93 innings as openers to- gether. Only the now-retired Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly (21 century stands), Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden (16) and Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes (15) have produced more hundred-plus opening partnerships. When Dhawan was dismissed for 66 and India was 154 for one in the 26th over, New Zealand at the same stage was 146 for five.
Rohit faced 96 deliveries for his 87 and hit nine fours and three sixes while Dhawan's 66 came off 67 balls and included nine fours. Virat Kohli (43) and Ambati Rayudu (47) were unable to lift the run rate above run-a-ball pace with accurate bowling by New Zealand for most of the final ten overs.
It took lusty blows from M S Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav to get the score over 300 when they smacked 35 runs in the last two overs.
While New Zealand scored freely in reply it lost wickets regularly.
All-rounder Doug Bracewell top scored for New Zealand with 57 off 46 deliveries.