VIRATKohli understandably walked away with most of the accolades for an innings oozing class and dominance, but India’s five-wicket victory in the first One-Day International against New Zealand was fashioned by the brilliance of an inexperienced pace attack with Anshul Kamboj leading the way. Kamboj,the Player of the Match for wonderful figures of two for 22, joined hands with Arshdeep Singh (4-70), Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi to send the hosts crashing to 185 all out at Eden Park on Wednesday after Shubman Gill opted to field. It was a particularly commendable effort from the Indian pacequartet which had acombined experience of 29 ODIs before this game. India lost Rohit Sharma in the first over without scoring, caught at mid-off off Kyle Jamieson, but Kohli went into over drive, relishing the bounce to play numerous horizontal bat strokes.Gill was content to sail in his senior partner’s wake, playing second fiddle during asecond-wicket alliance of 113 which was constructed either side of two rain breaks that forced India’s target to be revised twice. The first interruption, lasting 69 minutes with the visitors on 54 in 10.5 overs,left them with a new target of 167 in 40 overs; barely had the two batters played out seven deliveries when there was another stoppage for 36minutes, which changed India’s target to 143 in 32 overs. Unfazed by the break in rhythm, Kohli (74, 51b,13x4, 1x6)peppered the boundarywith impunity as he became the first batter to score 13,000 ODIs runs from No 3. With victory a formality, India lost four for 22, three of them including Kohli to the pull – though how much should beread into it is debatable –leaving Naman Dhir to eke out the winning boundary with astaggering 56 deliveries to spare and taking a1-0 advantage with four to play.

 

Gill had given India the early advantage by callingright for fifth time in six tries on this tour, but India still had to make use of the conditions and the assistancejudiciously,given theinexperience of theirfourquicks. Arshdeep,aseasoned T20I protagonist,wason themoney from the get-go,swiftly sizing up the conditions,realising that the additionalbouncecouldbeused as an ally and fallingbackon that commodity to have Will Young caught on the pull. ItwaswhenKambojcameinto the attack thatIndia truly got on top.Eventhough therewas no immediate joyfor the Haryana pacer,first Arshdeep and then the strapping Brar worked their way through the Kiwi batting. And when DarylMitchell perished for ararelowscoreagainst India,runoutafteramix-upwith top-scorer TimSiefertthat was expertlycapitalisedonbyasuper agileRohit,NewZealandhadlost half the side with only 97 on the board. After having used Axar Patel’s left-armspin frugally,Gill went for the kill by bringing back Kamboj and was immediately rewarded with the sticks of Santner andNathan Smith, brilliantly caught at second slip by adiving Kohli. And when Arshdeep built on his early successbypackingoffJamiesonand the dangerous Glenn Phillips, NewZealand looked out for the count at 146 for nine. ButNos 10 and Jack had other ideas as they opened theirshoulders.Arshdeep’s figures inparticular were severely dentedby No 11 Blair Tickner,whosmashed four sixes in making abrisk 34. The last pair of Tickner andJacobDuffy realised 39, butNewZealandhad too fewon theboardto trouble India. Especially onceKohli got on the bike and spedaway.