Bowlers deliver series win for dominant India

WELLINGTON: Virat Kohli bowed out of the New Zealand tour with India in an unbeatable position after a dominant seven-wicket win in the third one-day international in Mount Maunganui on Monday.

It put India 3-0 up and world player of the year Kohli said with the series wrapped up early it was time for him to step aside for the remaining two matches and the following Twenty20 series.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better performance after the first two clinical performances,” he said after India easily chased down New Zealand’s 243 with seven overs to spare.“I haven’t had a break for a long time. It’s been a very hectic Australian tour and now I go on a break very happy, 3-0 up, and sealing the series.”

Kohli’s 60 off 74 deliveries and a 113-run partnership with Rohit Sharma formed the backbone of India’s run chase.Sharma top-scored with 62 while Ambati Rayudu was unbeaten on 40 and Dinesh Karthik on 38.

New Zealand, batting first, posted their highest score and longest innings in the three matches so far but they still fell short of 50 overs. Ross Taylor (93) and Tom Latham (51) gave the innings credibility but proved no challenge for the visitors.

Sharma’s first-wicket partnership of 39 ended when Shikhar Dhawan edged Trent Boult to the lone slip Taylor to be gone for 28.Kohli then joined Sharma and the pair swatted the attack around the ground in their century stand for the second wicket.

Boult proved the most economical of the New Zealand bowlers with two for 40.Mohammed Shami had earlier taken three for 41 while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Hardik Pandya and Yuzvendra Chahal took two wickets apiece as India shared around the bowling honours in the New Zealand innings.

New Zealand won toss

New Zealand

M Guptill c Karthik b Kumar 13

C Munro c Sharma b Shami 7

*K Williamson c Pandya b Chahal 28

R Taylor c Karthik b Shami 93

†T Latham c Rayudu b Chahal 51

H Nicholls c Karthik b Pandya 6

M Santner c Karthik b Pandya 3

D Bracewell run out 15

I Sodhi c Kohli b Shami 12

T Boult c Shami b Kumar 2

L Ferguson not out 2

Extras (lb 4, wd 7) 11

Total (all out; 49 overs) 243

Fall: 1-10, 2-26, 3-59, 4-178, 5-191, 6-198, 7-222, 8-239, 9-239, 10-243

Bowling: Kumar 10-1-46-2 (1 w); Shami 9-0-41-3 (1 w); Chahal 9-0-51-2; Pandya 10-0-45-2 (4 w); Yadav 8-0-39-0; Jadhav 3-0-17-0 (1 w)

India

R Sharma std Latham b Santner 62

S Dhawan c Taylor b Boult 28

*V Kohli c Nicholls b Boult 60

A Rayudu not out 40

†D Karthik not out 38

Extras (b 1, wd 8) 17

Total (3 wickets; 43 overs) 245

Did not bat: K M Jadhav, H H Pandya, Kuldeep Yadav, Y S Chahal, B Kumar, Mohammed Shami

Fall: 1-39, 2-152, 3-168

Bowling: Boult 10-1-40-2; Bracewell 6-0-49-0 (2 w); Ferguson 10-1-57-0 (4 w); Santner 10-0-45-1; Sodhi 7-0-53-0 (2 w)

Result: India won by 7 wickets

Man of the Match: Mohammed Shami (India)

Umpires: Shaun George (South Africa) and Wayne Knights (New Zealand). TV umpire: Nigel Llong (England). Match referee: David Boon (Australia)