- Black Caps secure an eight-wicket win for their first Test victory in India since 1988
NEW DELHI: New Zealand secured an eight-wicket win for their first Test victory in India since 1988 as the Black Caps chased down 107 and humbled the home side early on the final day of the rain-interrupted series opener on Sunday.
After dismissing India for their worst home total of 46 and making 402 in reply, New Zealand bowled out Rohit Sharma’s side for 462 in the second innings on Saturday to lay the platform for a 1-0 lead in the three-match series.
Rachin Ravindra and Will Young remained calm under pressure after the loss of two early wickets to get the job done, earning New Zealand only their third win on Indian soil in 38 attempts going back to 1955.
New Zealand got off to a wobbly start when play began after a rain delay, as new permanent skipper Tom Latham was trapped lbw by Jasprit Bumrah on the second ball of the day for a duck with the tourists yet to score.
Bumrah and fellow pace bowler Mohammed Siraj made life hell for the New Zealand batsmen early in the day, as India looked to do what no team have done in
Test history and win a match after conceding a first-innings lead of more than 350 runs. Conway endured a couple of painful body blows, balls that whizzed
past the blade and unfriendly glares from the bowlers amid jeers from partisan fans at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium before falling lbw to Bumrah for 17. The wicket appeared to turn placid after that dismissal as New Zealand cruised to a famous victory.
India ‘A’ edge past Shaheens
In Muscat, India ‘A’ edged past Pakistan Shaheens by seven runs in a last-over thriller of the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams T20 Asia Cup at the Oman Cricket Academy Ground in Muscat.
Chasing a tough target of 184 in front of a boisterous crowd, Pakistan Shaheens ended their innings at 176-7. Arafat Minhas top-scored for Shaheens with a 29-ball 41 laced with five fours and a six. Opener Yasir Khan (33 off 22, three sixes and one four) and Qasim Akram (27 off 21) were the other notable contributors. Batting at number seven, Abdul Samad made a quickfire 25 off 15 with two fours and as many sixes and Abbas Afridi cracked 18 off nine but their efforts fell short in the end.
Indian medium pacer Anshul Kamboj picked up three wickets for 33 — including the important ones of captain Mohammad Haris (six) and Samad — was later named man-of-the-match. Pacer Rasikh Salam (2-30) and spinner Nishant Sindhu (2-15 off two overs) gave Kamboj good support.
Earlier after opting to bat first, India ‘A’ took a flying start of 68 in six overs through Abhishek Sharma (35 off 22, five fours and two sixes) and Prabhsimran Singh (36 off 19, three fours and as many sixes).
After Abishek was removed by Sufiyan Muqeem, Indian skipper Tilak Varma maintained the momentum striking a 35-ball 44 featuring a couple of fours and as many sixes. Nehal Wadhera made 25 off 22 (two fours and a six) as the Pakistan pacers struggled to restrict India ‘A’ from building a big total. Except for Sufiyan (2-28) and Qasim Akram (1-20) none of the other bowlers could impress.
