India vs New Zealand highlights: Hosts prevail in 1st ODI to beat India by 24 runs

Corey Anderson, Mitchell McClenaghan help New Zealand beat India by 24 runs. Follow all the highlights, as they happen (Scorecard | Innings Report)

15.01 (IST): Man of the Match Corey Anderson: It was nice to come out and play well in the end. We started off well in the bowling. I felt good.

15.00 (IST): Brendon McCullum: I thought we had par score. Virat's innings was world class. Thankfully Mitch did the job for us. Taylor and Williamson's partnership was very important. Corey played another outstanding innings. Pleasing batting performance. Captain's nightmare when Kohli and Dhoni start forming a partnership. Message to bowler was simple: find a way to take a wicketFor us to compete against teams like India, we need to be good throughout.

14.58 (IST): MS Dhoni: Good decision to field first. Came back well after bad start. Spinners also did well. I felt the bowlers did their job. We were in the game till the end. Till 3 wickets of me, Virat and Jadeja changed the game. We had good time to prepare ourselves. Few batsmen played well today.Disappointing to lose but when two good teams are playing only one can win.

 

14.39 (IST): FACTOID: This is the first time Virat Kohli's ton in a run chase hasn't resulted in a win. 11 out of 12 in run chases have led to India's victory.

14.33 (IST): What a wonderful start for New Zealand. Against the expectations, they have drawn first blood by beating the No.1 side by 24 runs. Chasing 293, Virat Kohli played an exceptional knock of 123 from 111 balls but the lack of partners did not allow India to take complete control of the game. The Kiwis held their nerves and dismissed him to pull things back and go 1-0 up in the series. For the hosts, it was Mitchell McClenaghan who gave his side regular breakthroughs to not allow the visitors to run away with the game. Even as Kohli kept scoring at one end, wickets tumbled at the other to peg back India regularly. The turning points of the game came when McClenaghan first got rid of Dhoni and then Kohli. Corey Anderson too chipped in with the ball, picking up two wickets while Tim Southee and Kane Williamson dismissed one each.

14.31 (IST): It's all over! Ishant Sharma has been cleaned up! New Zealand win 1st ODI by 24 runs.

14.27 (IST): Southee bowls on the pads and Shami gets a four. India need 26 off 11 balls.

14.26 (IST): India 263/9 in 48 overs, need 30 to win off 12 balls.

14.22 (IST): Ashwin is gone! He looks to slog but Southee takes a good diving catch in the deep. India 259/9.

14.20 (IST): Ashwin slams a six! India still in it? Ashwin surely thinks so as he hits a six off McClenaghan.

14.15 (IST): Run out! This should put an end to India's chances. Bhuvneshwar Kumar is run out after he and Ashwin try to sneak a quick single after hitting the ball straight to short third man fielder. India 244/8.

14.12 (IST): Bhuvneshwar Kumar plays an uppercut! What a useful shot here for India. He gets a boundary. India 244/7, need 49 runs from 32 balls.

14.10 (IST): Turn away if you're an Indian fan as Kohli has perished in an attempt to accelerate. He departs for a brilliant knock of 123, caught by Ryder at covers off McClenaghan. India 237/7 in 44.2 overs.

14.05 (IST): Kohli is far from done here. He slams a six off Nathan McCullum to put the pressure back on the hosts. India 233/6 in 44 overs, need 60 from 6 overs.

14.04 (IST): Another wicket! McClenaghan gets rid of Ravindra Jadeja. India 224/6 in 43 overs, need 69 runs to win from 42 balls.

14.01 (IST): Is there another twist in the tale? Dhoni is gone now! McClenaghan fired a bouncher on his body and he tried to get it away but couldn't clear Ronchi who took a good diving catch behind the stumps. India 224/5 in 42.3 overs.

13.57 (IST): India have reached 223/4 in 42 overs, need 70 runs to win from 48 balls. McCullum and McClenaghan taking their time in deciding the field.

13.48 (IST): Oh dear...Adam Milne is going off the field due to a side strain. He was seen clutching his sides after the third delivery and after a long chat with his skipper he reluctantly walks away. Let's hope its not big enough an injury to keep him out of the next clash. Kane Williamson finishes his over. India 216/4 in 41 overs, need 77 runs to win from 54 balls.

13.44 (IST): FACTOID: In run-chases, Sachin Tendulkar has most number of tons (17). Virat Kohli already has 12.

13.41 (IST): Powerplay is done but Dhoni doesn't seem to care. He hits a smashing shot over long on for a six off Nathan McCullum. India 207/4 in 39.2 overs.

13.36 (IST): Dhoni slams Southee for a straight back six as Brendon McCullum begins to show tension on his face. He knows that India are in for a run chase. It's still not an easy task. Need 93 from 66 balls.

13.34 (IST): Century No. 18 for Virat Kohli. He gets it with a boundary through covers. India 190/4 in 38 overs, 103 runs required from 72 balls.

13.32 (IST): One ball later, Dhoni pulls one to the mid-wicket fence. India 185/4 in 37.3 overs.

13.30 (IST): Dropped! Kohli skies one in the air and Ryder, running backwards, fails to judge the ball well and can't reach it in the end. How costly is that going to prove for the hosts?

13.28 (IST): Cracking shot from Kohli! He picks up an over-pitched delivery, rolls his wrist and places ball beautifully between mid-on and mid-wicket.

13.24 (IST): Four more for Kohli. He gets a straight boundary over the in-field. 11 runs come from the over. India 173/4 in 36 overs, need 120 off 84 deliveries.

13.22 (IST): McClenaghan comes back and offers some width outside the off-stump to Kohli who gladly accepts it and drives to the cover boundary to move into the 80s. India 166/4 in 35.2 overs.

13.19 (IST): Kohli gets a boundary finally! He hits it over the in-field, taking advantage of the field restrictions. He follows it up with a cheeky nudge past the keeper to get two more runs. Good over for India, 13 from it. 162/4 in 35 overs. India still need 131 to win from 15 overs.

13.17 (IST): Run out chance! Virat Kohli makes his ground by an inch as a direct throw leads to an appeal. Kohli comes down the wicket and hits the ball in the air in the next ball and gets a couple of runs.

13.13 (IST): Nathan McCullum comes back and bowls round the wicket. Kohli and Dhoni just can't get going. Two runs from this over too. The asking rate has climbed to 9.00.

13.11 (IST): Corey Anderson bowls a tidy over, giving away just two runs. India 146/4 in 33 overs, need 147 to win from 17 overs.

13.02 (IST): Dhoni and Kohli are ticking along here. These are two batsmen who can accelerate at will and turn a game around from any situation. New Zealand will be glad that they've restricted the flow of runs but cannot afford to take their foot off the pedal until they pick up another wicket. India still need 149 off 18 overs.

12.57 (IST): Mine bowls and Dhoni whacks the ball behind point. That ball must've traveled at 150 kmph off Dhoni's bat this time. India 141/4 in 30.1 overs.

12.54 (IST): India have reached 137/4 in 30 overs, needing 156 runs to win from the remaining 20 overs with MS Dhoni (5) and Virat Kohli (63) in the middle.

12.49 (IST): Raina is gone! It is a quick, short delivery that leads to his wicket. Milne bowls short and Raina is ducking and playing the pull shot at the same time. He mistimes it, having taken his eyes off the ball. The ball goes straight to Southee at fine leg. India 129/4 28.2 overs.

12.45 (IST): Nathan McCullum has completed six overs, giving away just 29 runs.  India 128/3 in 28 overs, still need 165 runs off 22 overs.

12.43 (IST): Only four more runs come from the rest of the over. India 120/3 in 27 overs.

12.39 (IST): Adam Milne comes back and Kohli welcomes him with a four over the point region.

12.38 (IST): 29th Fifty for Virat Kohli. He has held the Indian innings together here. His knock has come off 58 balls. India need 181 to win from 24 overs.

12.36 (IST): First six of the game! Kohli comes down the track and hits Nathan McCullum for maximum.

12.34 (IST): 100 comes up for India! It has come in 24.3 overs with Kohli (39) and Raina (10) in the middle.

12.31 (IST): Virat Kohli is holding the Indian innings but the asking rate has climbed over seven runs an over.

12.23 (IST): Suresh Raina walks into a sticky situation, with his side needing over 200 runs at more than six runs an over.

12.21 (IST): And just as I said that, Rahane is gone! Nathan McCullum takes a stunning one-handed catch at mid-off. Anderson gets his second wicket. India 84/3 in 21 overs.

12.18 (IST): Rahane carries on from where he left off at South Africa. There is a sign of confidence exuberating from his game in his short stay so far.

12.16 (IST): 20 overs are up and India are 80/2, needing 213 runs to win from 180 deliveries (30 overs). Could be an interesting chase if the visitors keep their wickets intact.

12.11 (IST): Ajinkya Rahane comes out to bat at No. 4, ahead of Suresh Raina.

12.07 (IST): Spin introduced for the first time in this innings as Nathan McCullum comes to bowl.

11.58 (IST): Milne has placed a leg slip for Dhawan. Dhawan's habit to take on every short delivery and play the pull shot could have been the reason. Four runs off his fourth over. He has given away only 19 so far.

11.55 (IST): Fifty-run stand between Kohli and Dhawan comes up.

11.52 (IST): Dhawan does what he loves doing! Uses his feet and plays through the covers. He didn't put much force behind that shot though and gets only a couple of runs. India 63/1 in 14.2 overs.

11.48 (IST): Appeal for caught behind? Milne fires one down Kohli's pads and the ball ricochets off his thigh pad to be caught by Ronchi behind the stumps. Both, bowler and keeper go up in appeal but the umpire turns them down. Milne has started very well here. Barring the wide initially, he hasn't bowled below 147 kmph and his fastest ball --the fastest of the game-- was 153 kmph.

11.42 (IST): Corey Anderson continues from the other end, around 20-25 kmph slower.

11.39 (IST): Milne gets his fastest ball in next at 153 kmph and Kohli punches him down the ground for a boundary. The next dot deliveries are clocked at 147 and 150 kmphh and finishes the over with 149 kmph. This is some serious fast bowling here.

11.37 (IST): Milne starts his second over at 152 kmph.

11.33 (IST): Double change as Corey Anderson comes on to bowl. Four runs taken from his over. India 47/1 in 11 overs.

11.32 (IST): Adam Milne's speed gun in his first over reads: 147,150,147,150, 147, 142 (wide) and 150 in kmph. What a start by him. India 43/1 in 10 overs.

11.27 (IST): Adam Milne comes into the attack and takes Dhawan by surprise whose attempted shot, at best, can be described as a forward punch. The ball flew over the point fielder and raced away to the boundary. Replays showed that the first two balls have been recorded at 147 kmph and 150 kmph.

11.25 (IST): Half chance! Dhawan pulls a short delivery but fails to keep it down. Corey Anderson, at square leg, jumps and gets one hand to it but cannot hold onto it. India 38/1 in 9 overs.

11.24 (IST): Another picturesque cover drive from Dhawan! An over-pitched delivery in the slot on the off-side and Dhawan plays a textbook cover drive and times it to pefection. India 35/1 in 8.3 overs.

11.18 (IST): Virat Kohli is timing it well! He spots a short delivery on the off, quickly shuffles across a bit and pulls it the mid-wicket boundary. India 27/1 in 7.2 overs.

11.15 (IST): Shikhar Dhawan gets behind a bouncer from Southee this time and perfectly pulls it behind square for a boundary. India 23/1 in 6.3 overs.

11.13 (IST): Sublime! What a glorious cover drive to get off the mark for Virat Kohli. India 19/1 in 6 overs.

11.10 (IST): A South African tour-like start for Rohit Sharma, as he departs for 3 off 23 balls, pulling McClenaghan to the fine leg fielder. India 15/1 in 5.2 overs. Virat Kohli walks out to bat.

11.05 (IST): After being surprised by a bouncer from Southee, Dhawan plays a picture-perfect cover drive to collect a couple of runs. India 13/0 in 4.4 overs.

11.02 (IST): McClenaghan seems to have a few words on offer for Rohit. After the umpire turned down a big LBW appeal, Rohit swung and missed the following delivery. It seemed liked McClenaghan said a few things at Rohit in his follow through. India 11/0 in 4 overs.

10.59 (IST): Southee bowls good line and length and gets a maiden over to his name. He hasn't been express pace but has not allowed either batsmen to get the early runs flowing.

 

10.54 (IST): Seven runs come from McClenaghan's over. India 9/0 in 2 overs.

10.50 (IST): McClenaghan starts from round the wicket and bowls on Dhawan's pads who flicks it through mid-wicket and collects three runs.

10.49 (IST): Mitchell McClenaghan will bowl to Shikhar Dhawan.

10.48 (IST): Tim Southee starts off with an off-stump line and is bowling in the 130s.Just two runs from the over. India 2/0 in 1 over.

10.46 (IST): India begin their chase as Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma are out in the middle.

10.43 (IST): Dhoni record: Indian skipper MS Dhoni has already completed his 300th dismissal behind the stumps with two catches -- of Ross Taylor and Brendon McCullum. Will 11 catches, Dhoni also has the highest number of catches against New Zealand, 2 more than Azharuddin. This and a lot more of records that Dhoni can look to break in this series.

10.38 (IST): FACTOID: The record highest chase on this ground at Napier is 289/3 by Sri Lanka against New Zealand in 2006.

10.31 (IST): 292 looks like a good total to defend for the Kiwis on a wicket that will suit the faster bowlers. Early on Bhuvneshwar generated good movement both ways and the New Zealand bowlers will be encouraged by that. Coach Mike Hesson had said he'd want to unleash pace on India. How will the Indian batsmen stand up to that challenge? We will find out soon.

10.29 (IST): As the Indian batsmen prepare to come out to hunt down New Zealand's total, not very far away in Australia, the third ODI is underway where Michael Clarke has taken an absolutely stunning catch. Follow that game here.

 

10.02 (IST): Losing the openers early, it was Kane Williamson (71) and Ross Taylor (55) who resurrected the Kiwi ship before Brendon McCullum and Corey Anderson took over and shifted gears. McCullum fell but Anderson continued his good form in 2014 to slam a 30-ball fifty and finish unbeaten on 68 off 40 balls, even as wickets at the other end continued to tumble. Mohammed Shami was the pick of the Indian bowlers, picking up four wickets, while Ishant, Bhuvneshwar and Jadeja picked up one each. 

10.02 (IST): A tidy over from Ishant to bring an end to the Kiwi innings. Only eight runs from it. NZ 292/7 in 50 overs.

09.58 (IST): Ishant Sharma to bowl the final over.

09.54 (IST): A good penultimate over from Shami. Nathan McCullum failed to read his slower deliveries and was beaten twice. The over ends with Shami dismissing him by taking a good return catch of his own bowling. NZ 284/7 in 49 overs.

09.50 (IST): Nathan McCullum comes on and is deceived by a slower delivery straightaway. The ball balloons high in the air but falls in no-man's land. Rahane, fielding in the deep, forces a direct hit and the Indians celebrate a bit but McCullum was well home. NZ 281/6 in 48 overs.

09.48 (IST): Ishant comes round the wicket and bowls a full ball outside the off-stump. Anderson gets a single.

09.47 (IST): Another six for Anderson. It's not on the roof this time but its a six nonetheless. Ishant bowls a poor over-pitched delivery and Anderson swings his bat like a golf club and gets one over mid-wicket.

09.44 (IST): Six runs come off the over. NZ 269/5 in 47 overs.

09.43 (IST): First ODI fifty for Corey Anderson. It has come off 30 balls. His stay at the wicket will be determine how far the Kiwis can go.

09.38 (IST): Bhuvneshwar bowls three exceptional yorkers to give just three runs. He follows it up with a full toss but Ronchi can't put it away and gets another single. The fourth ball is also full and Anderson can only hit it to long off and steal a couple of runs thanks to a fumble from Rohit Sharma. The over ends with another single. Outstanding end to a very good bowling for Bhuvneshwar. He finishes with figures of 1 for 38 in his 10 overs. NZ 263/5 in 46 overs.

09.35 (IST): Ronchi gets another six. It was short and outside the off-stump and he goes down on knee to hit it over deep square-leg. The next ball is dispatched for a boundary over deep mid-wicket. NZ 255/5 in 45 overs.

09.31 (IST): Jadeja comes to bowl and Ronchi slog sweeps him. The ball was in the for a long time but clears the rope for a six.

09.29 (IST): Shami comes round the wicket and Shami hits him over covers for a four. He has moved into the 40s. NZ 236/5 in 44 overs.

09.27 (IST): On the roof again! Anderson has slammed Shami over mid-wicket. Clean hitting at its best as the ball sails over the stands and lands on the roof.

09.22 (IST): Luke Ronchi comes out to bat. Here's something on his journey from Australia to New Zealand so far.

09.21 (IST): McCullum is gone! What a catch by Dhoni behind the stumps. McCullum tries to cut a short delivery and Dhoni latches onto the ball to send the Kiwi batsman packing. NZ 213/5 in 41.4 overs.

09.18 (IST): Good move from Dhoni. He stands up to Bhuvneshwar with McCullum on strike. The Kiwi batsman has been dancing down the track quite often today.

09.17 (IST): Bhuvneshwar comes back for his penultimate over.

09.14 (IST): Dhoni making a few fielding changes as Ashwin comes back. He comes round the wicket, Anderson flicks him for a six over deep mid-wicket. A clean hit, that. The hosts would love a few more of those. NZ 209/4 in 40.3 overs.

09.12 (IST): The final ten overs to go. How much can the hosts pile up? And how much really is good enough and par on this wicket?

09.10 (IST): Just one ball later, McCullum comes down the track and plays an inside out shot to take four runs. Sharma strays down the leg side again and McCullum flicks the ball to the fine leg fence to bring up the 200-run mark. NZ 201/4 in 40 overs.

09.08 (IST): Monstrous heave from Corey Anderson to send the ball onto the roof of the square leg stands. NZ 192/4 in 39.2 overs.

09.05 (IST): Shami mixing his length well. He surprises McCullum with a bouncer as the latter failed to connect the attempted pull shot. Shami has a smile to offer to the Kiwi batsman. The following delivery, McCullum hits the ball in the gaps on the off-side for a couple of runs. NZ 185/4 in 39 overs.

09.02 (IST): Corey Anderson hits one on the up over covers to the fence off Shami. Not long ago, this man started the year with a 36-ball ton, the fastest in ODIs.

08.55 (IST): Corey Anderson joins McCullum with three more overs of powerplay still to go after this.

08.51 (IST): Mohammed Shami returns and strikes right away. He gets rid of Taylor for 55. Dhoni took a good diving catch to claim his 300th dismissal behind the stumps. NZ 171/4.

08.49 (IST): McCullum dances down the ground! Poor short ball from Ishant and McCullum hits it over his head for a four.

08.47 (IST): Sharma's line continues to be down the leg side and Taylor comfortable flicks the ball to the deep mid-wicket fielder. He then follows it up with a slower delivery which McCullum picks up and drives through covers and picks up two more runs.

08.45 (IST): Ishant Sharma comes back as the batting powerplay begins.

08.44 (IST): Bhuvneshwar starts well but McCullum cuts the ball behind point to the fence off the last delivery. NZ 161/3 in 35 overs.

 

08.41 (IST): Bhuvneshwar Kumar comes back into the attack. He has conceded 25 runs in seven overs so far.

 

08.40 (IST): Brendon McCullum walks out to bat in his 225th ODI for New Zealand. Here are some more stats from the series.

08.37 (IST): Kane Williamson is gone! Dhoni's blue-eyed boy, Ravindra Jadeja strikes. Williamson came down the track but failed to hit the ball over Rahane at covers. A simple catch for him in the end. NZ 153/3

 

08.34 (IST): 25th half-century for Ross Taylor! It has taken him 70 deliveries for the knock.

08.29 (IST): Kohli returns...for his third 'one-over' spell. He'd hope to break this partnership and bowl more than just one over this time but the duo is looking rock-solid at the moment.

08.27 (IST): FACTOID: The highest fourth wicket partnership at Napier is 144, held by Stephen Fleming and Shane Thomson.

08.26 (IST): 100-run stand! Williamson and Taylor have added 100 runs for the fourth wicket. What a reliable pair of batsmen they have been for the Black Caps. NZ 136/2 in 30 overs.

08.24 (IST): Ashwin into his seventh over and Williamson comes down the track to pick up a single. Taylor follows suit. NZ 128/2 in 29.2 overs.

08.21 (IST): Virat Kohli is back into the attack. Seems like Dhoni wants to give him another go.

08.20 (IST): Tidy bowling from the Indians here. They're doing a good job at finishing the middle-overs quickly without leaking too many runs. Just three singles come off Ashwin's sixth over. NZ 122/2 in 28 overs.

08.18 (IST): FACTOID: The highest ODI total at Napier is 373/8 by the home side against Zimbabwe. It came in 2012.

08.16 (IST): Jadeja continues and is into his sixth over. He has done the job for his captain of keeping it tight and finishing up the middle-overs. He has conceded just 27 of his five.

08.12 (IST): Williamson's seventh ODI fifty! It's a fifty for Kane Williamson. It has come off 66 balls.

08.08 (IST): Halfway through, NZ have 112/2 on the board. Williamson-Taylor have done this in the past and are doing it again -- resurrecting the Kiwi ship. India on the other hand, have done fine but need a wicket to peg the hosts back. Shami still seems to be out which is a big worry for Dhoni.

08.05 (IST): 100 up for New Zealand! Kane Williamson square cuts a delivery from Jadeja to the point boundary to bring up the three-figures for the hosts. NZ 105/2 in 23 overs.

08.00 (IST): Jadeja replaces Kohli, who gets just the one over.

07.58 (IST): New Zealand have reached 90/2 in 20 overs. Williamson and Taylor have steered the hosts after two early wickets.

07.55 (IST): While teams are busy playing here, things on the administrative side are heating up as BCCI, ECB and CA are looking to take over world cricket.

07.52 (IST): Virat Kohli comes into the attack now. He might be a tricky bowler to deal with, given the kind of swing he can generate.

07.51 (IST): As expected, there is not much turn for Ashwin but he has started with a good line and length. Two runs from the over. NZ 78/2 in 18 overs.

07.48 (IST): Ravichandran Ashwin comes into the attack. He starts with 96 ODI wickets.

07.44 (IST): A big LBW appeal from Ishant. The ball pitched outside off and angled into Taylor. Umpire shook his head but replays suggested that the ball would have hit the leg stump. Taylor survives. New Zealand 76/2 in 17 overs.

07.43 (IST): Taylor has achieved 4,000 ODI runs.

07.41 (IST): Ishant Sharma continues and so do the boundaries. Williamson gets another four through the mid-wicket region. This duo has picked up the scoring rate. The last five overs have fetched 35 runs.

07.39 (IST): Run out chance! Miscommunication between the batsmen! Williamson hits it to the same area again but Bhuvneshwar cuts it off inside the fence. Williamson called for the third run, but Taylor didn't hear him, perhaps he was ball watching. The throw came to the non-striker's end where Williamson made his ground and Bhuvneshwar's throw to Dhoni was poor and Taylor made it on time. NZ 71/2 in 16 overs.

07.37 (IST): Ravindra Jadeja continues and has a leg-slip in place. Williamson comes down the wicket on the first delivery and picks the ball up over the in-field and hits it to the the deep mid-wicket fence.

07.35 (IST): Another four! Ishant strays down the leg again and this time it's Taylor who guides the ball to the fine leg fence.

07.33 (IST): An over-pitched delivery from Ishant drifts down the leg side and Williamson flicks it through mid-wicket to the boundary. NZ 55-2 in 14.3 overs.

07.29 (IST): Ravindra Jadeja comes into the attack. Will be interesting how Taylor and Williamson will take him on, given the small size of the grounds. Corey Anderson would be itching to be out in the middle.

07.23 (IST): Ishant continues to bowl length deliveries outside the off-stump and Williamson collects a two back-to-back two runs each. NZ 44/2 in 12 overs.

07.22 (IST): FACTOID: This is Kane Williamson's 50th ODI.

 

07.20 (IST): The opening phase of the game has well and truly belonged to the hosts here. Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar started well with the former getting rid of both the openers before going off the field with back pain. Jesse Ryder was starting to play his shots but his frailties on the off-side and lack of footwork did him in. Guptill too fell while chasing a delivery outside the off-stump. Ross Taylor and Kane Williamson are in the middle and will look to steer their side to comfort soon.

07.16 (IST): Dhoni loves to bowl out Bhuvneshwar early on, doesn't he? The youngster begins his sixth over. He has given just 18 runs so far. No wickets, but he has kept it tight at one end, getting the ball to move both ways. His line, which faltered in the first and only ODI he played in South Africa, has been good so far, barring the three wides he has bowled. NZ 39/2 in 10.3 overs.

07.13 (IST): Ishant starts off short and wide outside the off-stump and follows it up with a length ball. If Shami is injured, there will be more pressure on him to step up and bowl well early on. Dhoni may even turn to Virat Kohli to fill in some overs.

07.10 (IST): Seems like Shami has gone off the field. Ambati Rayudu is on for him as a substitute fielder. Ishant Sharma is into the attack.

07.06 (IST): Ross Taylor comes to the middle. He is 15 runs short of 4,000 ODI runs.

07.06 (IST): Oh dear, Shami was seen holding his back in pain after picking up the wicket but he has continued to bowl.

07.04 (IST): Guptill is gone! He edges the ball to Ashwin at first slip, giving Shami his second wicket. NZ 32-2 in 7.4 overs.

07.01 (IST): Shami bowls a full delivery to Guptill who flicks it well but straight to the mid-wicket fielder for no run. NZ 32-1 in 7.2 overs.

06.56 (IST): Bhuvneshwar is now getting the ball to move late into the right handers. But his pace is just about negotiable for the batsmen. Bhuvneshwar's line and length will be crucial. He needs to keep it absolutely tight and full to force the batsmen to commit a mistake or two.

06.55 (IST): Good, tight over from Shami. Only a single from it. NZ 27-1 in six overs.

06.53 (IST): Still no movement for Shami here. But he bowls a good enough line and length for Williamson to let it go to the keeper.

 

06.50 (IST): Kane Williamson is the next man in.

 

06.47 (IST): Shami cleans him up! The lack of foot movement has done Ryder in. Shami bowls a length deliver on middle and off and the ball holds its line to go through Ryder's defense. He tries to play across but the lack of foot work exposes a big bat-pad gap through which the ball travels, hits his back pad and crashes onto the off-stump. He goes for 18. NZ 22-1 in 4 overs.

06. 46 (IST): Shami however, bowls one of the leg side and its easy pickings for Ryder who pulls it to the square leg boundary.

06.44 (IST): Ryder looks a bit tentative outside the off-stump. He hasn't shown great feet movement on the off-side and seems like he is looking to make room to play his shots. There is very little foot work from him on the off-side. If Shami can continue this line and get an odd ball to move away from the left-hander, he could be in trouble.

06.43 (IST): Shami starts off with a ball at 141 kmph and surprises Ryder. There is not a lot of movement for him but the pace good enough to keep Ryder on the defensive.

06.41 (IST): Bhuvneshwar is getting the ball to move both ways and is bowling in the mid-130s. A good over comes to an end, just two runs from it. NZ 18/0 in 3 overs.

06.39 (IST): Not express pace, but Bhuvneshwar Kumar is bowling good line and length, not allowing Guptill to attempt his shots. He is getting the ball to nip back into him. Guptill is happy to defend them away.

06.37 (IST): Good comeback from Shami, beating Ryder's bat on the off-side. NZ 16/0 in 2 overs.

06.35 (IST): Mohammed Shami bowls from the other end. His starts by straying down the leg side to Ryder who guides the third ball to the fine leg fence. Shami follows it up with some width outside the off-stump and Ryder hits it through the off-side to the fence..

06.32 (IST): Bhuvneshwar started well but Jesse Ryder slammed six over deep backward square leg to end the over. NZ 7/0 in 1 over.

06.30 (IST): Hint of sharp movement straightaway. Will be interesting to see who Dhoni bowls from the other end. Looking at the amount of swing, Mohammed Shami seems like a good bet.

06.29 (IST): Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the ball in his hand. He bowls to Martin Guptill.

06.21 (IST): While we wait for the game to start, here's a quick read on the kind of records that could be achieved and broken today. Both teams have long list. Here's what Indians will be after and here's what the hosts will eye.

06.17 (IST): Adam Milne gets a game on a deck that will have offer a lot for the fast bowlers. Coach Hesson had even spoken about unleashing the pace on the opposition.

06.16 (IST): Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum, Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi (wk), Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Mitchell McClenaghan

06.14 (IST): New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum says he would have batted first anyway. Expect some aggressive batting up front. Big, big test for the Indian bowlers here. They're coming in at the back of a lackluster performance against South Africa while the Kiwis beat West Indies recently.

06.13 (IST): Interesting line-up for India here. They're playing both Ashwin and Jadeja with three fast bowlers in Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Mohammed Shami.

06.11 (IST): Indian XI: Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, Ajinkya Rahane, MS Dhoni, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma

 

06:08 (IST): Indian skipper MS Dhoni has won the toss and has elected to field first.

 

Match Preview

India would look to gain some valuable experience and confidence when they clash with New Zealand in a five-match ODI series, beginning in Napier on Sunday, as Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his boys will defend their World Cup title on these very shores next year.

The reigning World Champions will also be looking to defend their number one ranking, in this format of the game, against the eighth-ranked hosts.

Unlike their previous tour in December, this trip imparts greater significance to India. Against South Africa, the Indian team management decided to use the three-match series as a learning exercise for the ensuing Test series.

It worked up to an extent against their formidable opponents with their young Test side losing the two-match series only on the last day of the tour at Durban.

While the importance of taking that learning forward in the Tests versus New Zealand cannot be neglected, at the same time, the Men in Blue need to up the ante in ODIs as the run-up to their title defence officially begins.  (Read full preview)

Squads:

New Zealand (From): Martin Guptill, Jesse Ryder, Kane Williamson, Ross Taylor, Brendon McCullum(c), Corey Anderson, Luke Ronchi(w), Nathan McCullum, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Mitchell McClenaghan, James Neesham, Adam Milne.

India (From): Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Suresh Raina, MS Dhoni(w/c), Ajinkya Rahane, Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Stuart Binny, Ishwar Pandey, Varun Aaron, Ambati Rayudu, Amit Mishra.

Records beckon: MS Dhoni eyes record 300 dismissals as keeper. Ross Taylor eyes 4000 ODI runs.

Kiwi skipper Brendon McCullum promises hostile bowling against India

India will have to contend with some hostile and aggressive fast bowling in the first one-dayer, New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum warned on Saturday. The hosts have an impressive attack, consisting of five fast bowlers -- Mitchell McClenaghan, Tim Southee, Kyle Mills, Adam Milne and James Neesham.

"We are leaning towards a full-pace bowling attack at this stage, but we will take a call only after seeing how everyone pulls through training. It will be quite nice to unleash a bit of pace in this opening game and try and be aggressive and hostile as we can with the ball in hand," said McCullum at the pre-match press conference.

The skipper added that he expected a "pretty big score in this game" even as he has bowlers who can make life tough for the Indian batsmen. (Read more)

No Sachin Tendulkar means good news for New Zealand: Kyle Mills

With India touring New Zealand without the likes of Sachin Tendulkar for the first time, experienced Kiwi pacer Kyle Mills said his team will look to put pressure on the new-look Indian batting order during the one-day series starting on Sunday.

"Hopefully we can get into their top order. It's a different Indian side to what we've faced over the last decade and there's new players on the scene with a bit of hype about them. Kohli is obviously a quality player and Dhawan has done a pretty good job," Mills was quoted as saying by a website.

"I haven't really played a lot of their batsmen. Kohli is a very good player. I've watched footage of him and he's a class act and his record is stacking up to be as good as Tendulkar. He's going to have the weight of a nation, so to speak, on him to fill those shoes. There might be an opportunity for us to create that pressure on him," he added. (Read more)

MS Dhoni not keen to experiment against New Zealand

Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, ruled out experimenting too much with his settled team in the series against New Zealand but said the five-match rubber should serve as a good exposure to some of his players before the World Cup.

Since Yuvraj Singh is not in the side, there is question mark over the number four spot in the batting order. Dhoni was non-committal about Suresh Raina coming up the order, a role he did not perform with much success against Australia in October.

"We will see what suits us best and then we will move ahead. As of now, after the Greg Chappell era, experimentation is something we have done away with. We don't really change too many things anymore. We will give chances to a few players and hopefully they will rise up to the occasion and accept the challenges that they are pushed into," Dhoni said ahead of the series-opener on Sunday. (Read more)