SportsCricket
Live: India bowl first and strike early as New Zealand reach 31 for 1 at Eden Park
India won the toss and chose to field in the first of five ODIs in Auckland. New Zealand had lost one wicket inside the first six overs, with the match still in its opening hour.
Key points
- India won the toss and chose to bowl in the first ODI at Eden Park.
- New Zealand were 31 for 1 after 5.4 overs in the opening hour.
- The match is in progress; the five-match series runs to Mount Maunganui.
India’s one-day series in New Zealand is under way at Eden Park in Auckland, and the visitors have made the early inroad. Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl, and New Zealand had lost a wicket inside the first six overs.
At the last count New Zealand were 31 for 1 after 5.4 overs, scoring at better than five an over against the new ball. The match started at 7:30 am IST and was still in its opening hour at that point.
Why India chose to chase
Gill’s call followed the ground’s record. Chasing sides have won 47 of the 86 men’s ODIs played at Eden Park, against 34 for teams batting first, and the straight boundaries are short, which makes a target easier to plan for. On the eve of the match Gill said any Indian team can beat anyone, and that a series win here “will be a big confidence booster for us”.
Both sides are short of players. India lost Prasidh Krishna to a hamstring injury before the series, with Auqib Nabi called up for the first three games. New Zealand, led by Mitchell Santner, are without Rachin Ravindra and Mark Chapman for the series and Devon Conway for this match after a concussion in training.
What comes next
New Zealand will look to rebuild through the middle overs before India begin their chase in the evening session in Auckland, around mid-morning in India. India come into the series having won the T20I series 3-2, though they lost the last two matches, including an 87-run beating at this ground. The second ODI is in Wellington on 7 November.