2nd ODI: India register convincing 6-wicket win over New Zealand in Pune to square series 1-1

Pune, Oct 25: India registered a convincing six-wicket win over New Zealand in the second one-day international and levelled the series one-all here on Wednesday (October 25).

Match Scorecard; India-NZ Series schedule

Chasing a modest total of 231, Men In Blue overhauled it in 46 overs for the loss of four wickets. Shikhar Dhawan (68) and Dinesh Karthik (64*) were the top scorers for the hosts, who looked in control from the very beginning of the match.

Rohit Sharma (7), skipper Virat Kohli (29), and Hardik Pandya (30) were the other three wickets that India lost in their run chase. Veteran MS Dhoni remained unbeaten on 18 off 21 balls he faced while Karthik hit the winning runs for the hosts with a beautiful cover drive. The chase was comfortable for India despite losing Rohit cheaply for the second time in the series.

However, Dhawan was back to his best and played shots all around the ground en route to his 22 ODI fifty. His sublime innings comprised five fours and couple of sixes including the one he hit over midwicket.

The southpaw shared a 57-run stand Virat Kohli (29) before adding 66 runs with Karthik, who too played a valuable knock. Karthik, playing at number four after coming in at five in the previous game, grabbed the opportunity with a ninth ODI fifty. After Dhawan's departure, Karthik and Hardik Pandya (30) forged a 59-run stand to secure the game for their team.

The hosts lost Pandya when they required 27 more runs to win the match, but a calm customer in Dhoni ensured they reach home without any hiccups.

The series decider will be played in Kanpur on October 29. There was a slight doubt whether the second ODI here will go ahead as planned after pitch curator Pandurang Salgaoncar was suspended for allegedly agreeing to tampering with the pitch in a TV sting operation. However, the game began on time after ICC match referee Chris Broad inspected the pitch.

Earlier, a disciplined bowling effort from the pacers ensured India restrict New Zealand to 230/9 in the stipulated 50 overs.

Pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar returned with 3/45 while Jasprit Bumrah grabbed 2/38 from his quota of 10 overs to restrict the visitors to a low total in a must-win match. Yuzvendra Chahal also claimed two wickets while Axar Patel justified his selection over Kuldeep Yadav by removing man-in-form Tom Latham for 38.

Henry Nicholls (42) and Colin de Grandhomme (41) were the top scorers for the visitors as the rest of the side struggled to score freely against host bowlers.

The Indian bowlers had New Zealand at their mercy from the onset, picking up wickets at regular intervals to reduce the visitors to 58 for four inside 16 overs.

The hosts, who lost the series opener in Mumbai, did not allow the New Zealand batsmen to settle down at the Maharashtra Cricket Association stadium. Kumar (3-45) and Yuzvendra Chahal (2-36) and Jasprit Bumrah (2-38) were the pick of the bowlers.

Electing to bat, New Zealand had a disastrous start as Kumar and Bumrah wreaked havoc by removing their first three batsmen inside the opening seven overs.

Bhuvneshwar gave a perfect start to India by removing the opening duo of Martin Guptill (11) and Colin Munro (10) quickly. Bumrah then had skipper Kane Williamson (3) LBW, leaving the visitors tottering at 27 for three.

While Guptill nicked one to Mahendra Singh Dhoni behind the stumps, Williamson was trapped in front of the wicket by Bumrah with New Zealand struggling at 25 for two. The visitors reviewed Williamson's decision but that went in vain.

Munro, who hit a towering six during his brief stay, was the next to depart as Bhuvneshwar went through his defence.

In-form Tom Latham (38) and Ross Taylor (21) too failed to repeat their last match's exploits when they conjured a 200-run stand in a winning cause.

Taylor, who struck two fours and looked in a set for a big knock, was dismissed by Hardik Pandya in the 16th over as the right-handed batsman edged one to Dhoni while trying to hook a Pandya delivery.

He and Latham just managed to add 31 runs for the fourth wicket. Latham stuck just two fours, a cut and a pull, and partially tried to steer his side out of trouble with his trademark sweep and reverse-sweep shots. But the southpaw's stay was cut short when he was bowled by Patel across the stumps while the batsman went for a sweep.

Henry Nicholas (42) and Colin De Grandhomme (41) then tried to resurrect the Kiwi innings by adding 47 runs for the sixth wicket before the partnership was broken by Bhuvneshwar.

Chahal then took two consecutive wickets in the 44th over by dismissing Grandhomme and Adam Milne (0) to stand in a chance for a hat-trick which didn't happen.

Towards the end, Mitchell Santner's 38-ball 29 and Tim Southee's unbeaten 25 helped New Zealand reach the 230-run mark.