Gambhir special spurs India

Skipper's brilliant century consigns Kiwis to eight-wicket drubbing

Chasing New Zealand’s seemingly competitive 258 for eight, India rode on skipper Gambhir’s eighth one-day century to build a massive 2-0 win in the five-match series.

India’s comfortable victory didn’t come without Kohli’s significant role. The right-hander forged a match-winning 116-run partnership off just 115 balls for the second wicket with Gambhir as India made a mockery of the slow nature of the wicket and cantered to victory with seven overs to spare.

The day, however, belonged to Gambhir, whose last century, an unbeaten 150, came against Sri Lanka at Kolkata in more demanding circumstances. After dominating the opening stand of 87 with Murali Vijay, Gambhir took his foot off the accelerator alongside Kohli (64, 73b, 8x4) as Daniel Vettori continued with an attacking field even after the bowling Power Play. New Zealand did manage to cut off a significant amount of singles, which both Gambhir and Kohli are adept at, but each barren period was compensated by a flurry of boundaries, keeping India firmly ahead of the game.

Having failed to convert good starts in recent matches, Gambhir looked determined to change the script. In an innings decorated with audacious pulls, crunching cover-drives and cheeky stabs behind square, the left-hander took the wind out of the Kiwi sails on a pitch which was expected to play a trick or two. He was lucky to have come unscathed when a couple of inside-edges went just past the stumps, but they were nothing more than minor aberrations in an innings of high quality. 

Earlier, opting to bowl first, what with dew expected to play a major role, Gambhir couldn’t have asked for more from his bowlers, who kept a tight leash on the Kiwi batsmen almost through the innings. Both pacers and spinners weren’t able to knock the batsmen off at regular intervals, but they did manage to dry up the runs, maintaining a tight line and length.

There was just enough swing for the pacemen in the afternoon and Ashish Nehra and S Sreesanth put it to optimum use to keep the batsmen guessing. The latter, who returned impressive figures of four for 47, was a massive improvement from the opening match while Munaf Patel continued his miserly ways.    

New Zealand’s batting, however, acquitted itself well after a shaky start. From a seemingly hopeless position, the Kiwis clawed their way back through a middle-order resistance to post a healthy total. In fact the visitors, who missed Brendon McCullum again, looked like a mounting a bigger total with Scott Styris (59, 56b, 5x4, 1x6) and skipper Daniel Vettori (31, 32b, 4x4) appearing ominous at one stage.

The right-left combination took the Indian attack apart during its 58-run association as the modest score threatened to assume dangerous proportions. However, as he had done in the previous match at Guwahati, paceman Sreesanth came up with twin strikes to peg the visitors back. The right-arm quick dismissed Styris and Vettori, and though Nathan McCullum denied him the hat-trick, the Kerala bowler had delivered what India expected of him at that stage.

While Styris and Vettori provided the much-needed push towards the closing stages, a fortuitous Martin Guptill (70, 102b, 3x4. 1x6) held the innings together with a patient but timely half-century.

However, it wasn’t before Vettori joined forces in the middle with Styris that New Zealand started to show urgency. Almost immediately after coming together, the duo pressed the accelerator, heralding the most entertaining period of the innings. But just when they appeared to pilot New Zealand to a big total, the two fell in quick succession, allowing India to press home the advantage.

SCORE BOARD

NEW ZEALAND
Guptill c Saha b Ashwin    70
(102b, 3x4, 1x6)
How c Saha b Sreesanth    5
(13b, 1x4)
Williamson b Munaf    29
(46b, 4x4)
Taylor c Kohli b Yusuf    15
(23b, 1x6)
Styris c Saha b Sreesanth    59
(56b, 5x4, 1x6)
Vettori b Sreesanth    31
(32b, 4x4)
Hopkins (not out)    11
(12b, 1x4)
N McCullum (run out)    12
(9b, 1x4)
Mills b Sreesanth    13
(6b, 1x4, 1x6)
Southee (not out)    2
(1b)
Extras (LB-5, W-6)    11
Total (for 8 wkts, 50 overs)    258
Fall of wickets: 1-14 (How), 2-64 (Williamson), 3-96 (Taylor), 4-161 (Guptill), 5-219 (Styris), 6-219 (Vettori), 7-242 (McCullum), 8-256 (Mills). 
Bowling: Ashish Nehra 9-1-45-0, S Sreesanth 9-1-47-4, Munaf Patel 8-0-34-1 (w-2), R Ashwin 10-0-52-1 (w-1), Yuvraj Singh 9-1-48-0 (w-3), Yusuf Pathan 4-0-23-1, Raina 1-0-4-0..
Scoring pattern: after 5 overs: 22/1; 10: 40/1; 20: 75/2; 30: 114/3; 40: 179/4; End of Innings: 258/8 (in 50 overs).  
Runs during: Power Play1: 1-10 overs: 40/1; Power Play2: 11-15 overs: 22/0; Power Play3 (batting): 35-39 overs: 33/1.
INDIA
Vijay b Vettori    33
(58b, 2x4)
Gambhir (not out)    138
(116b, 18x4)
Kohli c Taylor b McKay    64
(73b, 8x4)
Yuvraj (not out)    16
(11b, 1x4, 1x6)
Extras (W-8)    8
Total (for 2 wkts, 43 overs)    259
Fall of wickets: 1-87 (17.4), 2-203 (Kohli).
Bowling: McCullum 9-0-37-0 (w-1), Mills 7-0-49-0, McKay 7-0-59-1 (w-3), Styris 3-0-20-0, Vettori 8-0-32-1, Southee 5-0-33-0 (w-4), Williamson 4-0-29-0.
Scoring pattern: after 5 overs: 18/0; 10: 52/0; 20: 100/1; 30: 161/1; 40: 240/2; End of Innings: 259/2 (in 43 overs).
Runs during: Power Play1: 1-10 overs: 52/0; Power Play2: 25/0; Power Play3 (batting): Not taken.