India captain Shubman Gill singled out Rohit Sharma‘s sharp run-out of Daryl Mitchell as the decisive moment in the team’s five-wicket victory over New Zealand in the rain-affected first ODI at Eden Park on Wednesday. Gill credited India’s disciplined bowling and sharp fielding for restricting the hosts to 185, before Virat Kohli‘s commanding 74 helped the visitors chase down a revised target of 143.New Zealand appeared to be rebuilding their innings through a partnership between Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, but Rohit’s alertness in the field brought an end to the stand and shifted the momentum in India’s favour. Gill felt the dismissal was particularly important, considering how well the two batters had performed against India previously.“I think we were very good with the bowling. And I think our fielding was also really good. That run out by Rohit bhai, I think changed the momentum of the game. I think it was really that partnership (Mitchell & Phillips), we saw that even in India – those two batted really well in India. And overall I think a very good team performance for us,” Gill said after the match.India’s bowlers ensured New Zealand never recovered from the setback, bowling them out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh led the attack with four wickets, while Gurnoor Brar picked up three and Anshul Kamboj claimed two.
Gill backs Kamboj and Brar after impressive bowling displays
Gill was particularly pleased with the performances of Kamboj and Brar, who made excellent use of the conditions at Eden Park to trouble the New Zealand batters. Kamboj returned impressive figures of 2/22 in his 10 overs, while Brar finished with 3/44.The Indian skipper described Kamboj as a bowler suited to such conditions, highlighting his ability to generate movement with the new ball and remain effective with the older one. He also praised Brar’s ability to extract additional bounce and trouble batters with his pace.“I mean Anshul is the kind of a bowler, I think he’s tailor-made for these kind of conditions, always nippy, trying to seam the ball. And good with the old ball. We felt when there’s not much happening from the wicket, he (Brar) can create that extra bounce and with his pace and the way both of them bowled tonight was really magnificent to watch,” he added.
Gill explains how Kohli made rain-affected chase easier
India’s chase was far from straightforward, with two rain interruptions forcing changes to the target and the number of overs available. After the initial delay, the contest was reduced before another interruption brought the target down to 143 in 32 overs under the DLS method.Gill admitted that the changing conditions made batting difficult, particularly for players who had already settled at the crease. However, he credited Kohli’s composed approach for making the chase considerably easier for India.“It’s never easy when you are set and then it rains and the wicket got a little bit quick, it got a little bit more nippy after the rain. So the target reduced. So we were just trying to play our normal cricket. And I think the way Virat bhai batted, it made things a lot more easy for us,” Gill said.Kohli smashed 74 off 51 deliveries, registering his 80th ODI half-century, while Gill contributed 37. The duo added 113 runs for the second wicket to put India firmly in control before New Zealand’s bowlers picked up a few late wickets.India eventually crossed the finish line at 143/5 in 22.4 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
