India v New Zealand, 1st ODI - 5 Talking Points

India completed a ‘complete’ performance as they went ahead 1-0 up in the ODI series against the Black Caps of New Zealand. While Virat Kohli helped himself to his customary half-century, the bowlers bowled with great discipline as they smashed their way through the New Zealand top order.

Moreover, the fact of the matter remained that the Kiwis barring Tom Latham simply could not decode the riddles of Indian wickets, despite making it to the semi-finals of the World T20 earlier this year. That said, here are five talking points from the first ODI.

1. Pandya and Yadav pacers impress on ODI comeback

Making their way back into the squad were Hardik Pandya, Manish Pandey, and Kedar Jadhav. Apart from the latter, the former two players were re-embarking their way into the Indian team following their short stint with the India ‘A’ unit. However, in spite of this, it was Yadav and Pandya who impressed for the most part with some impressive bowling.

The duo were primarily responsible for wrecking the top-order of the visitors when they dismissed all players barring Latham. While Yadav completed his 3-wicket haul early as well as a couple of catches, it was Hardik Pandya who stole the show courtesy of his impressive return to the grand scheme of things.

Also read- IND v NZ 1st ODI Review: Clinical India take 1-0 lead in the series

2. Tom Latham wages lone crusade 

For the most part of the Test series, Tom Latham was the one that stood between the India and a victory, in spite of the fact that the Indians did eventually go ahead and claim the win. In the first ODI at Dharamsala, it was the same narrative that prevailed as the southpaw waged a lone crusade against the Indians. He remained unbeaten on 79 at the close of the innings which included 7 boundaries and a solitary six.

3. Tim Southee showcases some erratic batting skills

Following the close of the U19 World Cup in Malaysia in 2008, Tim Southee has seldom worked on his batting. However, in the first India v New Zealand ODI at Dharamsala, the 27-year-old exhibited some fantastic batting acumen as he helped the Kiwis take their score close to the 200-run mark.

He smashed a quickfire 55 from just 45 deliveries including 6 boundaries and 3 sixes. More importantly, he gave Tom Latham some much-needed company whilst the latter smashed a few important runs.

4. Openers get Indians off to a flier

The Indian opening unit saw Mumbai pair Rohit Sharma and Ajinkya Rahane take center stage with southpaw Shikhar Dhawan ruled out of action. However, in spite of the small tweak in the batting order, the dynamic duo seemingly had perfect understanding, perhaps dating back to their days when they played their junior cricket.

They added 49 quick runs with Rahane, in particular, being the aggressor of the two with a few hoicks into the grand stands over the mid-wicket region. Needless to say, the duo gave the hosts the best possible foundations to launch from.

Also read- Twitter Reactions: Hardik Pandya starts off ODI career with a brilliant spell

5. Indians complete comprehensive win to go one up

Virat Kohli was the star of the show yet again for the Indians as he helped complete the victory courtesy of a well-made 85. Apart from the simple fact that he was aided and abetted by the likes of Rahane and Rohit, it seemed quite clear that Kohli was the one to guide the Indians home. Moreover, there were a few shades of MS Dhoni as Kohli completed the 6-wicket win with a smash down the ground and into the stands for a massive six.