Considered a mentor for the new crop of Indian fast bowlers, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah says he never tries to “over-teach” the younger lot and steps in to help only when asked, to avoid burdening them with information.
| Photo Credit: ANI

Considered a mentor for the new crop of Indian fast bowlers, pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah says he never tries to “over-teach” the younger lot and steps in to help only when asked, to avoid burdening them with information.

The 30-year-old Bumrah would be a key player for India in the T20 World Cup, starting in New York on June 1 and he would also be expected to be a guiding force for India’s pace battery, featuring the relatively younger and less experienced Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh.

“You don’t try to over-teach. That is something that I have learned,” Bumrah told the ICC’s official website for the T20 World Cup.

“Because whenever people need help, I let them have their own questions… Because you don’t want to give too much information,” he said.

Group D | Group C | Group B | Group A

Bumrah said it is important for youngsters to know their path without being burdened with an overkill of information.

“It’s not like they have just been lucky and they land here. So that is what I try to do. I do pass on certain information that I have gained over from my experience,” he said.

“But I don’t try to burden them with (over) information. Because that is a part of the journey as well. That you have to find your own ways and solutions,” he added.

Bumrah has battled a nagging back injury for the past couple of years and it even kept him out of the 2022 T20 World Cup but he has managed to fight through and enjoyed a brilliant run in the 2023 ODI showpiece.

He snared 20 wickets at an average of 18.65 with an economy of just about four in that event. The reticent bowler said his focus since coming back has been to simply enjoy his game.

“Because (certain) things will go my way. (Certain) things will not go my way,” he said.

“All of these things will be a part of my process. So I have just realised that I started playing this sport. Because I love this sport. And I will focus on that rather than the end result.

“So in that aspect you reduce your pressure. And you enjoy the sport. When you focus on those things. Rather than the things you cannot control,” he added.

Bumrah has 74 T20 International wickets, which puts him third in India’s all-time list. He is widely perceived to be the best among the current lot of international pacers when it comes to consistently bowling yorkers.

Australian great Brett Lee has even gone to the extent of saying that Bumrah is the only pacer in the world who is executing the yorker correctly right now.

Bumrah said his consistent yorkers are a result of years of practice.

“So I played a lot of tennis-ball, rubber-ball cricket when I was growing up. I used to play a lot with my friends in summer camps,” he said.

“…I used to think that this is the only way to get wickets. Because I was a fan of fast bowling. I was really fascinated by what I saw on the television. So I tried to replicate that. Is it (tennis-ball cricket) a secret (to bowling yorkers) or not? I don’t know,” Bumrah wondered.

“But repetition surely is. Because I have kept this delivery. I still practice it. I keep on practicing it. Because every skill that you develop, you have to practice it and make it stronger. So I think a combination of both would be the answer.” India are in Group A of the T20 World Cup, along with Pakistan, Ireland, Canada, and the USA. They will begin their campaign against Ireland on June 5.

File photo of captain Rohit Sharma and vice-captain Hardik Pandya.
| Photo Credit: PTI

India will play the second semifinal of the T20 World Cup in Guyana on June 27 if the cricketing giants reach the last four stage of the competition.

As per ICC’s playing conditions for the showpiece in the USA and Caribbean, reserve day is only kept for the final in Barbados on June 29.

“If India qualifies for the semifinals, they will play in the second semifinal scheduled for Guyana on the 27 June 2024,” stated the playing conditions.

The decision on scheduling has been taken considering the timing of the semifinals in Trinidad and Guyana. The first semifinal in Trinidad on June 26 is a night affair while the knock-out game in Guyana is a day game, more suited for the Indian TV audience.

The second semifinal will start at 8.30 PM IST and will have an added time of 250 minutes if the game is impacted by weather. The added time for the first semifinal will be applied over two days.

“The Final on June 29 will have a reserve day on June 30. The semifinals will each have additional time added in order to complete the match which will total 250 minutes.

“For the first semifinal on June 26, 60 minutes will be available at the end of the day’s play with the remaining 190 minutes scheduled for 2 pm on June 27.

“Whilst the additional 250 minutes for the second semifinal scheduled on 27 June will be utilised if needed through extended playing hours on the scheduled day,” according to the playing conditions.

India will be aiming to win an elusive ICC trophy and they will begin their campaign against Ireland in New York on June 5 before taking on arch-rivals Pakistan at the same venue on June 9.

Captain Rohit Sharma shakes hands with English counterpart Ben Stokes after winning the fifth Test Match in Dharamsala.
| Photo Credit: Gareth Copley

Former England spinner Graeme Swann doesn’t believe Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was better than Ben Stokes’ in the five-match Test series. Rather, it was a lethal set of bowlers that “did the trick” for the India skipper.

While Stokes’ leadership style has attracted all the attention prior to and during the series, Rohit’s team emerged 4-1 winners in the end.

“I don’t think he has been superior as a captain because his bowlers have done the trick for him. I think he’s got more weapons at his armoury,” Swann told PTI Videos in an exclusive chat after India inflicted an innings and 64-run defeat on England in the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala on March 9.

“He’s been good don’t get me wrong, Rohit Sharma, but, I don’t think if you pick this apart and say Stokes has captained badly, I think you are barking up the wrong tree there.

“Rohit Sharma’s bowlers have really come to town for him, come to the party for him, in the last four Test matches, they didn’t in the first one but they have done for the last four,” Swann noted.

No blaming Bazball

Far from blaming ‘Bazball’ for England’s loss, Swann said Stokes and Co actually failed to play the brand of cricket that has brought them success in recent times.

Swann’s observation is in stark contrast to the views expressed by few other former players who attributed the drubbing to the visitors’ fixation with Bazball.

“I don’t think we have seen Bazball in this trip whatsoever, we saw it for one innings of this Test series, that’s when Ollie Pope got a 190, and that was the definition of bazball,” he said.

“I think England, where they have fallen flat in this series is, they have not been brave enough. I don’t think they have played what you guys in the media call Bazball.

“I think if they had, I think this series would have been closer if I am honest.” Bazball, which is derived from England Test coach Brendon McCullum’s nickname Baz, fell flat as the tourists capitulated inside three days in the fifth Test, helping India secure their 17th straight Test series triumph on home soil.

On the match getting over in under three days, Swann said: “I would say it’s a very good advertisement for Test cricket, because it was an exciting match.

“India were just too good for England in this game. It’s always at the end of a series if it’s already been won by one team, you worry that this will happen, the resistance will be completely blown away and it was in this Test match.

“So England will have to go home and shake themselves off wondering where it went so badly wrong. India are world class especially their bowling attack, and that was really shown again in this Test match.” As a former off-spinner himself, Swann applauded Ravichandran Ashwin’s stupendous performance on his 100 Test match.

“You know what it’s brilliant, to get a fifer on his hundredth Test match. I have not actually seen him, I was looking to go and congratulate him myself but I will have to do that at the hotel later.

“Bowling so well and making those early inroads, that was brilliant, possibly one of his best fifers in his 100 Test matches, so you have got to take your hat off to Ashwin,” he observed.

On James Anderson becoming the first fast bowler to reach 700 wickets, Swann said: “He’s a joke, Jimmy is an absolute joke, how he has kept going for all this amount of time.

“When I say it’s a joke I mean that in a good way, he’s been incredible, and to get 700 wickets, well you know it’s almost nonsensical the achievement and I love him to bits.

“I was kind of hoping when he almost bounced Kuldeep out, almost hit his gloves and bobbled in the air, that would have been the dream for Jimmy, because he has not bowled a decent bouncer for 10 years, but he has now.”

Coach Rahul Dravid with R Ashwin after the team won the fifth Test cricket match against England, in Dharamsala, on March 9, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Rohit Sharma’s captaincy was rather understated vis-à-vis Ben Stokes’ on-the-edge methods, but India head coach Rahul Dravid was delighted to see the players identify themselves with the Mumbaikar’s leadership principles.

Under Rohit, India never made tall claims even once but silently and categorically nullified the visitors’ much-talked-about ‘Bazball’ and grabbed the five-match series 4-1.

“I’m privileged to work with a lovely team. I’m learning from them all the time. Rohit has been fantastic to work with. I think he’s a terrific leader, and the guys gravitate towards him phenomenally, which is fantastic to see,” said Dravid told broadcasters after the match.

Dravid said India’s series win was dotted by several shining moments but acknowledged that the return of Ravichandran Ashwin from a personal emergency underlined the character of this outfit.

“I’d just say Ashwin coming back to the team after what he went through (as the stand-out moment). Ash wanting to come back and contribute to the team… I think, for me, it signified what this team is about and what the character of this team is.

“I think that was just for me, probably the standout moment of the series. It really gladdens your heart as a coach to the kind of environment that that had been created,” said Dravid.

Ashwin had to leave for Chennai because of a family emergency on the second day of the Rajkot Test, but the veteran off-spinner rejoined the action on the fourth day of the third Test.

There have been talks about the doors of the Indian team being shut now for players like Ishan Kishan and Shreyas Iyer after they defied the BCCI diktat to play in Ranji Trophy.

But Dravid did not buy into that.

“Rohit and I are selecting playing 11. Sometimes even I don’t know who is contracted and who is not. So, no one is out of the mix as far as we are concerned,” Dravid later said in the post-match press conference.

Kuldeep Yadav twinkled radiantly with his left-arm wrist spin besides chipping in with some handy runs lower down the order.

Dravid was chuffed to see the wholesome improvement in Kuldeep.

“It’s been tough on Kuldeep Yadav. He’s been bowling at a time when two legends (Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja) are playing for the team. He brings the X-Factor to the team. He has also worked hard on his batting which has been a bonus,” said the former Indian captain.

India all-rounder Shardul Thakur recently urged the bigwigs to look into the hectic Ranji Trophy schedule, which he said has been putting a lot of pressure on the players.

Taking a serious note of the call, Dravid the players’ views should be considered sooner than later.

“We need to hear the players. They are the ones putting bodies on the line. If they are saying (about a busy schedule), we need to see how to manage the domestic schedule better,” he added.

Indian opener Yashasvi Jaiswal plays a shot during the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala. Jaiswal won the player-of-the-series award by scoring 702 runs with two hundreds and three fifties averaging 89.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Player-of-the-Series award winner Yashasvi Jaiswal on March 9 attributed his overwhelming success in the five-Test rubber against England to his uninhibited approach while opening the innings.

Jaiswal ended the series with 712 runs with two hundreds and three fifties, averaging 89 and striking at 80.

“I was just thinking if I can take a bowler down, I will take him down. That’s the plan and there was no backing out,” said Jaiswal during the post-series presentation.

However, the left-hander, who became only the second Indian to score over 700 runs in a series after Sunil Gavaskar, said he wanted to keep his feet planted on the ground.

“I really enjoyed the series. I am trying to take it one game at a time and always thinking of how I can contribute to my team so that I can keep the team in a winning position,” he added.

Skipper Rohit Sharma too reminded Jaiswal of the need to remain humble and focussed.

“He’s got a long way to go, but it’s amazing to be in this position. When a guy’s got talent like that who can put pressure on the bowlers from the word go, there will be lots of challenges going forward. He is a tough guy and loves the challenges,” said Rohit.

Was trying to keep ball on good length: Kuldeep

Kuldeep Yadav was adjudged player of the match for his seven-wicket haul and a feisty 30 down the order that helped India stretch the lead.

The left-arm wrist spinner said he was just trying to keep the ball on a good length throughout his spells.

“I just focus on keeping it on a good length and that is very important for a spinner in this format. I was not thinking too much about what the batter was trying to do,” he said.

Kuldeep picked the wickets of Ben Stokes at Ranchi and Zak Crawley here as his favourite dismissals from the series.

“I really bowled well in Ranchi. The wicket was slow and the way I used the drift over there was fantastic. I liked the Stokes wicket in Ranchi.

“I also liked the Crawley wicket here (Dharamsala), that was a beautiful ball. I really liked my rhythm,” he said.

Kuldeep bowled England captain Stokes with a delivery that spun in from off-stump while right-hander Crawley got castled by his stock ball that turned in sharply from the fifth-stump line to disturb his stumps.

Rohit Sharma heaped praise on Kuldeep’s work ethics.

“He’s got a lot of potential and when the chips were down in the first innings (here), he bowled really well. He came back and worked at NCA after his injury. He is putting in a lot of effort and the most pleasing thing was his (improved) batting,” said Rohit.

Kuldeep Yadav and Jasprit Bumrah are seen on day 1 of the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala on March 7, 2024.
| Photo Credit: PTI

After playing a pivotal role in restricting England to 218 by taking five for 72, Kuldeep Yadav was quick to acknowledge the contributions of seniors like R. Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja in Dharamsala.

Underplaying his efforts on the day, Kuldeep said, “I have been playing international cricket for 7 years and I have played a lot with Ash and Jaddu bhai. In some series, there were not many opportunities (for me). I have learnt a lot from Ashwin and Jadeja. In Hyderabad, I had a long chat with Ash bhai and he told me the changes that I needed to make in terms of the mindset. He gives a lot of ideas and he’s a special player.”

Asked about him and Ashwin prompting each other to lead the team into the dressing room after England’s innings, Kuldeep said, “I wanted him to lead the team since it was his 100th Test. But Ash Bhai reminded me that he had 35 balls (with which he took five or more wickets in a Test innings) and told me to keep this one and walk on.”

Kuldeep once again underplayed his effort of becoming the fastest to get 50 Test wickets in terms of the deliveries bowled. “I don’t think too much about records because they are meant to be broken. You are playing for India and you only want to put your skills to test. A lot of players don’t get opportunities, so I am grateful and lucky to have played for the country. I always want to contribute to the team’s success.”

Earlier, England’s assistant coach Marcus Trescothick admitted that his team did not put enough runs on the board. However, he did not miss the opportunity to sound rather brazen.

“We are a very unique side in how we go about things. I don’t think we will study what India does too much. We don’t get too down when we have bad days, we don’t get too high when we have good days.

“You just have to stay level and recognise what you can do better. Hopefully, we come back and improve,” he signed off.

Test cricket will see two players featuring in their 100th game together for only the fourth time when India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and England batter Jonny Bairstow take the field in Dharamsala on March 7.
| Photo Credit: K.R. Deepak/Getty Images

For R. Ashwin and Jonny Bairstow, this week at the foothills of the imposing Dhauladhar mountain ranges would coincide with their scaling ‘Peak 100’ in Tests.

When the fifth and final India-England Test opens here on Thursday, the duo would share the milestone of playing the 100th Test.

No doubt, Ashwin’s journey has been more glorious and comes days after he took the 500th Test wicket in a winning cause. In contrast, Bairstow still has not been in the best of forms with the bat in the series.

As Ashwin said, “A lot of things need to go your way when you have to get a breakthrough and also continue playing for so many years.”

Ashwin @ 100

Long journey

Indeed. Since his debut against the West Indies in Delhi in 2011, the off-spinner has come a long way.

Looking back, Ashwin chose to mention the 2012 England’s tour to India during which he learnt lessons that were to stand him in good stead.

“One of the turning points of my life was the England series when (Alastair) Cook came here and made all those runs along with (Kevin) Pietersen, who had a great game in Mumbai. It has been spoken about a lot. Leading into the next series against Australia at home, there was a lot of noise about me being left out of the team.

“And that is a wonderful lesson I have still kept with me all these years. Whatever happens, we can hold a lot of complaints against somebody external or blame it on another individual. But for me, if you look internally, you can improve at least by another five per cent.

“Until and unless there is something wrong with you, people aren’t going to throw punches at you or point fingers at you…”

Ashwin graciously acknowledged the role played by S. Badrinath, Mithun Manhas, and Rajat Bhatia during the days before he made it big. “These are some of the greatest batters of spin who I would have not wanted to encounter in international cricket. They were my finishing school before I went on to play international cricket.”

On his part, Bairstow declared, “Playing 100 Tests means a hell of a lot. It will be an emotional week for me.”

Bairstow, like Ashwin, made his debut against the West Indies but in 2012.

“No matter what it is, I’ll be going out there, chewing my gum, puffing my chest out and trying to have a good time with the other 10 blokes out there. Whatever the situation is, we’ll be going out there with smiles on our faces, like we have done in the whole series.”

Mighty impressed with Ravichandran Ashwin’s range, aggressive mindset and relentless pursuit of wickets, senior England batter Joe Root has said that the veteran Indian off-spinner is a constant threat who hardly believes in the concept of wearing the opposition down.

Ashwin, who recently went past the 500-wicket milestone in the traditional format becoming only the second Indian after Anil Kumble to do so, will play his 100th Test during the fifth match against England, starting on March 7 at Dharamsala.

“Ashwin is always trying to find ways of getting you out rather than trying to wear you down, over long periods of time,” Root said on Sky Sports cricket podcast hosted by former England captains Mike Atherton and Nasser Hussain.

Root, who along with his teammates is currently enjoying a break in the series, said the infinite variety that Ashwin has in his bowling keeps the batters guessing.

“He uses creases differently from traditional off-spinners. He uses over-spin, side-spin, can get really tight to the stumps, can go wider and he has got the carrom ball, you know, a lot of different tricks.

“So, you will have to be really wary of different threats that he poses and make sure that you have very good skill sets to counter (him) and be on top of him,” said the ex-England skipper.

Giving an insight into the way Ashwin operates, Root said the Tamil Nadu man often bowls six different deliveries in an over.

“Ashwin is making sure that you don’t play the previous ball. He is very good at trying to drag you across the crease and get your head to one side of it and beat both edges quite frequently,” he said.

Root said Ashwin poses different threats while bowling with new and old balls.

“There are different things to contend with because of his seam position and how cleverly he can move around the shiny side that has got some extra skid.

“So, you have to make sure that you are in position a little bit quicker. He can also drift the ball away and bring the slip fielder into play,” he explained.

Root also offered a comparison between Ashwin and Nathan Lyon, the other premier off-spinner of this generation. The 36-year-old Australian has taken 527 wickets from 128 Tests.

“With Lyon it is all about, I think, especially in the first half of the Test match, to get over the top of the ball, get the bowl bounce, knee roll high, in between and try to bring short leg and leg slip into the game as much as he can.

“Then just slowly, get slower with his pace and drift wider into that. There are those footmarks, you know, Mitchell Starc has so kindly done for him for such a long period of time,” added Root.

England’s much-talked-about ‘Bazball’ approach has not really worked in this series against India, where the visitors are currently trailing 1-3.

But Root said frustration has not seeped into the England camp as yet.

“Don’t think there is too much frustration within the team. Our top order has been far more consistent than it has been for long, long years. But this part of the world can be quite tricky to do that (attacking batting), especially in the second innings.

“But the bigger picture is not about how we can blast ahead but to find the best in our game. There will be times when we need to play a bit pragmatic, but this team does not regret and we need to learn from every opportunity,” he detailed.

Jonny Bairstow, who is set to play his 100th Test in Dharamsala, has struggled with the bat, managing just 170 runs from four Tests and he is yet to score even a fifty.

However, Root backed his fellow Yorkshire man to come good sooner than later.

“I came across him when he was 12 at a Yorkshire scholarship programme with the rest of the boys. He was a superstar even then and had this tough task of living up to the name of his father (former England wicketkeeper David Bairstow).

“But Jonny has always excelled and went from strength to strength. He wears his emotions on his sleeve,” said Root.

Jasprit Bumrah returns to the Indian squad for the fifth Test against England in Dharamsala.
| Photo Credit: Gareth Copley

Senior India batter KL Rahul will not feature in the fifth and final Test against England in Dharamsala owing to an injury while pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah will return to the team, the BCCI said on February 29.

Rahul, who continues to feel sore in his right quadriceps, has travelled to London to get an expert opinion on his injury.

The wicketkeeper-batter became unavailable after the series-opener in Hyderabad in January and as per the BCCI, he was 90 per cent fit before the third Test in Rajkot earlier this month.

“Mr. KL Rahul, whose participation in the final IDFC First Bank Test was subject to fitness, has been ruled out of the fifth and final Test in Dharamsala. The BCCI Medical Team is closely monitoring him and coordinating with specialists in London for further management of his issue,” the Board said in a release.

Meanwhile Bumrah, who was released from the squad for the fourth Test in Ranchi in line with the team’s workload management policy, will link up with the squad in Dharamsala for the final Test, beginning March 7.

India have already taken an unassailable 3-1 lead, following the victory in the fourth Test in Ranchi.

Rahul’s absence from the final Test means Rajat Patidar remained with the squad but the MP batter can’t be sure of his place in the playing eleven, having aggregated only 63 runs in six innings.

All-rounder Washington Sundar has also been released from the squad.

“He will join Tamil Nadu — his Ranji Trophy side — for their Ranji Trophy semifinal fixture against Mumbai, starting March 2, 2024. He will join the India squad after the completion of the domestic fixture for the fifth Test, if need be,” the BCCI said.

Rahul needs to be fully fit before the IPL where he will lead Lucknow Super Giants and is expected to bat in the middle order to bolster his chances of making the India squad for the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean.

It is the same quadriceps injury that had sidelined Rahul for almost four months last year.

Having got injured during the IPL, Rahul returned to action during the Asia Cup in September last and made instant impact. In the Test tour of South Africa last year, Rahul was the only century-maker for India in the drawn series.

The BCCI also said senior pacer Mohammed Shami is recovering well after undergoing a surgery on February 26 for his right heel problem.

“He is recovering well and will soon head to the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru to commence his rehabilitation process,” the Board said of Shami.

India’s updated squad for fifth Test

Rohit Sharma (C), Jasprit Bumrah (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Shubman Gill, Rajat Patidar, Sarfaraz Khan, Dhruv Jurel (WK), KS Bharat (WK), Devdutt Padikkal, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Mukesh Kumar, Akash Deep.

Like the endearing warmth of the fireplace in a cold Himalayan cottage, India too found its comfort zone up in the hills. Virat Kohli (95, 104b, 8×4, 2×6) played the shepherd guiding his flock, and chasing New Zealand’s 273, the Men in Blue coasted home with a four-wicket victory. India finished with 274 for six in 48 overs in a key World Cup game at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on October 22.

The pursuit shimmered bright in the beginning as skipper Rohit Sharma whipped and lofted Trent Boult, and hoisted and scooped Matt Henry. Shubman Gill, meanwhile, drove with elan, and India moved to 63 for no loss in 10 overs. A false note occurred when Rohit (46) chopped Lockie Ferguson onto his stumps.

Next man Kohli punched Ferguson for four but Gill failed to get past the waiting third-man fielder. The clouds then descended and the cricketers admired nature’s tapestry. Despite the mist, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer got some runs but when visibility declined, a short break was imposed.

On resumption, Shreyas succumbed to Boult. Kohli watched K.L. Rahul tuck into Rachin Ravindra’s spin. The last-named then felt the heat of Kohli’s blade, an inside-out lofted strike flew into the skies and when Henry steamed in, he was drilled away with disdain.

Mitchell Santner prised out Rahul and the worry-lines popped up once Suryakumar Yadav got run-out. India was delicately placed at 191 for five but Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja ensured that there were no further alarms. A garland of muscular hits against Boult found Kohli nearly galloping towards his ton before he fell at the last stretch but by then he had left India at the cusp of a special triumph.

In the afternoon as vehicles crawled up narrow hill roads and boisterous fans disembarked in their blue shade, Rohit won the toss and elected to field. India stepped in with two changes as Mohammed Shami and Suryakumar replaced Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur.

Devon Conway, watchful against Jasprit Bumrah, flicked Mohammed Siraj to a diving Shreyas. With Conway dismissed for nought and Shami’s first ball in the current World Cup forcing Will Young to drag one onto his stumps, New Zealand needed an alliance.

The situation could have become worse but in a rare episode of Ravindra dropping Ravindra, Jadeja grassed Rachin, when the latter was on 12 while Shami rued his bad luck. A partnership emerged between Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell with the highlight being their massive sixes off Kuldeep Yadav. The pair survived vociferous appeals and bonded for more than 20 overs.

Mitchell, had his lucky break on 69 with Bumrah dropping him off an aggrieved Kuldeep. The 159-run third-wicket alliance concluded when Ravindra (75) holed out in the deep off Shami. Kuldeep then trapped New Zealand skipper Tom Latham while Mitchell cruised towards his hundred.

The centurion watched fickle companions leave as Shami clattered stumps. Mitchell (130, 127b, 9×4, 5×6) became Shami’s fifth victim (five for 54) as India kept the visitors under 300. It proved within reach as Kohli played the lead star.

Scoreboard

NEW ZEALAND: Devon Conway c Shreyas b Siraj 0 (9b), Will Young b Shami 17 (27b, 3×4), Rachin Ravindra c Gill b Shami 75 (87b, 6×4, 1×6), Daryl Mitchell c Kohli b Shami 130 (127b, 9×4, 5×6), Tom Latham lbw b Kuldeep 5 (7b, 1×4), Glenn Phillips c Rohit b Kuldeep 23 (26b, 1×6), Mark Chapman c Kohli b Bumrah 6 (8b), Mitchell Santner b Shami 1 (2b), Matt Henry b Shami 0 (1b), Lockie Ferguson run out 1 (5b), Trent Boult (not out) 0 (1b); Extras (b-3, lb-5, w-7): 15.

Total (in 50 overs): 273.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-9 (Conway, 3.3 overs), 2-19 (Young, 8.1), 3-178 (Ravindra, 33.3), 4-205 (Latham, 36.5), 5-243 (Phillips, 44.2), 6-257 (Chapman, 46.6), 7-260 (Santner, 47.4), 8-260 (Henry, 47.5), 9-273 (Mitchell, 49.5).

INDIA BOWLING: Bumrah 10-1-45-1, Siraj 10-1-45-1, Shami 10-0-54-5, Jadeja 10-0-48-0, Kuldeep 10-0-73-2.

INDIA: Rohit Sharma b Ferguson 46 (40b, 4×4, 4×6), Shubman Gill c Mitchell b Ferguson 26 (31b, 5×4), Virat Kohli c Phillips b Henry 95 (104b, 8×4, 2×6), Shreyas Iyer c Conway b Boult 33 (29b, 6×4), K.L. Rahul lbw b Santner 27 (35b, 3×4), Suryakumar Yadav run out 2 (4b), Ravindra Jadeja (not out) 39 (44b, 3×4, 1×6), Mohammed Shami (not out) 1 (1b); Extras (lb-1, w-4): 5.

Total (for six wkts. in 48 overs): 274.

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-71 (Rohit, 11.1), 2-76 (Gill, 13.2), 3-128 (Shreyas, 21.3), 4-182 (Rahul, 32.1), 5-191 (Suryakumar, 33.5), 6-269 (Kohli, 47.4).

NEW ZEALAND BOWLING: Boult 10-0-60-1, Henry 9-0-55-1, Santner 10-0-37-1, Ferguson 8-0-63-2, Ravindra 9-0-46-0, Phillips 2-0-12-0.

Toss: India.

PoM: Shami.

India won by four wickets with two overs to spare.