After trailing 0-1 in the three match One Day International series, India will look to bounce back when the hosts take on a confident New Zealand in the second match at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here October 25. New Zealand know India will be under pressure to win in the second ODI in Pune, and the Kiwis can take full advantage of controlling the game, right from the start. "But we stuck at it and it was one of the greatest chases I've seen, certainly in my time as a Black Cap", New Zealand captain Williamson said afterwards. Latham smashed the opposition bowlers all over the park to notch up eight boundaries and two sixes in his 102-ball innings.
Colin Munro's promotion to the top appears to have paid off for now, while his captain Kane Williamson would be itching to make a decisive impact on the match, after failing to get going in Mumbai, falling to the spin of Kuldeep.
When Martin Guptill was sent packing by Hardik Pandya in the 18th over for 32 New Zealand were at 80-3 and looking like they were heading for a heavy defeat.
Past year they lost the decider in Visakhapatnam to go down 3-2, mirroring the final scores in 1995 and 1999. New Zealand batsmen Ross Taylor and Tom Latham were praised for their way of handling the spin duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. The first test of his skills emerged in the very first ODI when he had to keep wickets in Mumbai's heat and humidity, before coming out to bat in the 13th over. "Tom and I got some runs in the warm-up game and it was nice to bring that form into Wankhede", Taylor said referring to their respective hundreds in the second warm-up against Board President's XI. "New Zealand competed exceptionally well, they had a fantastic partnership and they went on to win that game", Bharat said. Latham admitted it was important to have a game-plan for spin.
Interestingly, Salgaoncar had told CricketNext after the Test in February this year that he had time and again warned the BCCI pitch committee head Daljit Singh and then West Zone head Dhiraj Parsana - both present to oversee preparation of the wicket in Pune - against preparing a bald and dry pitch. I take it as it was, it's yesterday's news.
India's bowling has come under scrutiny after failing to defend 281 in the first ODI against New Zealand.
"Credit to Tom Latham and Ross Taylor".
New Zealand travel to India for limited-overs series, which comprises of three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) and as many T20Is.
Watch the second one-day global between India and New Zealand live on Sky Sports Cricket (channel 404) from 8.50am on Wednesday and from 9am on Sky Sports Main Event (channel 401).