India took a 2-0 lead in their ODI series against New Zealand with a commanding 90-run victory at the Bay Oval.
Openers Rohit Sharma (87) and Shikhar Dhawan (66) got the visitors off to a perfect start as India set their opponents a target of 325 to win.
New Zealand fell well short and were bowled out for 234 inside 41 overs, with Kuldeep Yadav taking four wickets. Doug Bracewell’s defiant 57, his first international half-century, was too little, too late for the hosts.
India will now seal the series with two matches to spare if they triumph again in their next meeting on Monday.
Captain Virat Kohli lauded another clinical effort from his team. Kohli said India probably finished 20 runs shy of where they should have been after being well placed at 173-2 after 30 overs but said the attacking mindset of his bowlers ensured New Zealand fell well short of the target.
“We were really balanced with the bat. A target of 325 was par, not something you feel comfortable considering New Zealand’s batting. We would like to score those 15-20 runs extra but at the same time, our bowlers are not content to go wicketless for 40 runs; they’d rather go for 60 and take three wickets. That mindset is crucial for us,” Kohli said after the win.
His counterpart Kane Williamson was disappointed at being outplayed at home for the second straight match after Kiwis were shot out for 157 in the first match.
“It’s not so much the losing, it’s the way we’ve been losing. We showed glimpses in the chase, we just didn’t do it long enough. Two games in a row we have not had control at any stage, but we need to take small steps,” Williamson said.
