New Delhi, Oct 25: New Zealand have been off to a dream start on their India tour, something Australia couldn't manage preceding this series. The Black Caps winning the first ODI has thrown the dare back in the Indian camp as the hosts now stare at losing the series should the Kiwis win the second ODI in Pune as well on Wednesday.
Virat Kohli made his presence felt in the very first match of the series with a sublime 121, but it was undone by New Zealand centurion Tom Latham and Ross Taylor. The duo stitched a 200-run stand, which ensured a six-wicket win for the visitors while chasing India's 280/8 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.
Apart for Kohli and Dinesh Karthik (37), no other batsman rose to the occasion. Many experienced players got starts but could not convert it into a big score.
Kohli also rued the fact that the hosts fell 30-40 runs short and on Wednesday he would want his batsmen to improve in that department.
On the bowling front, India managed to take only four Kiwi wickets. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, who had bowled brilliantly against the Australians, also failed miserably taking just one wicket between them.
India's bowling coach Bharat Arun said to level the series is a challenge and the team is ready for it.
"We look at it as a big challenge right now. New Zealand competed exceptionally well; they had a fantastic partnership (in Mumbai) and they went on to win that game," Bharat said.
"It is a bigger challenge for us to come back. We know we have our plans in place and it is a good testing ground for the team (on) how you come back from behind and do well in the series," he added.
New Zealand, on the other hand, ticked most of the boxes in the first match. Their top-order clicked and the bowlers also did a good job. Experienced pacer Trent Boult (4/35) made his mark and the other bowlers supported him.
The Black Caps will now look to create history as another win will give them their first bilateral series win in India.
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