NZ vs IND, 1st ODI: New Zealand breeze to 7 wicket win after blazing Tom Latham 145 not out

India tour of New Zealand 2022: Tom Latham showed how it’s done on a good batting strip in Auckland, hitting his highest ODI score of 145 off 104 balls as the hosts breezed to a 307-run target. Kane Williamson’s men took a 1-0 lead in the 3-match series.

Tom Latham’s career-best knock helped New Zealand hammer India (AP Photo)

By Akshay Ramesh: Much like the T20 World Cup 2022 semi-final defeat to England, it was difficult to pinpoint whether the batters or the bowlers let the team down as New Zealand cruised to a 307-run target in the first of a 3-match ODI series in Auckland on Friday. After fifties from Shikhar Dhawan, Shreyas Iyear and Shubman Gill and a late blitz from Washington Sundar, India posted a par score of 306 at McLean Park but it was not enough for the visitors.

India had posted 168 in 20 overs in Adelaide and England breezed to the target without losing a wicket in just 16 overs. On Friday, Tom Latham and Kane Williamson hit contrastingly-paced hundreds as New Zealand gunned down the 307-run target with 7 wickets and 2.5 overs to spare.

There were calls for India’s white-ball approach, especially with the bat when it comes to scoring at a brisker pace, to change after the T20 World Cup exit and if Friday’s signs are anything to go by, India are still playing catch-up in the ODI format as well.

New Zealand vs India, 1st ODI: Highlights

It was also India’s 5th straight defeat to New Zealand in the ODI format, starting from the 2019 World Cup semi-final. The Asian giants had lost an ODI series 3-0 in February 2020.

LATHAM MASTERCLASS TOO GOOD FOR INDIA

Tom Latham and Kane Williamson made sure New Zealand made light work of the chase with a 2xx-run partnership that came in less than a run-a-ball. Latham was severe against the India bowlers as he helped change the momentum after coming into bat at 88 for 3 in the 20th over when the asking rate was shooting up for the BlackCaps.

Kane Williamson played perfect second fiddle, allowing his batting partner to take the risks by providing solidity to the other end. Latham dented India’s spirits in the 40th over of the chase, hitting a six and 4 boundaries against Shardul Thakur, who leaked 25 in the said over.

Latham and Williamson also set a record for the highest partnership for New Zealand against India, going past 200 set by the left-hander himself along with Ross Taylor in 2017 in Mumbai.