Auckland, Dec 26: India`s horrid show with the bat continued in the one-dayers too as they were shot out for their lowest total (108) against New Zealand in the opening game of the seven-match one-day series here today.
Put in to bat by New Zealand skipper Stephen Fleming, all India could manage was 108 in 32.5 overs, falling five runs short of their previous lowest of 113 against the Kiwis, scored in Perth in 1986. There was no devil in the pitch this time, just plain and simple disciplined bowling by the New Zealanders. Jacob Oram destroyed the Indians with a five-wicket haul, conceding just 26 runs from his ten overs, while every other bowler had at least one wicket.
Just two Indian batsman could reach the 20s. One expectedly was Rahul Dravid who was the last man out while going for an ambitious hit off the penultimate ball of the over in order to shield his partner Ashish Nehra. Dravid made exactly 20 runs before being brilliantly caught by Daniel Vettori at mid-on.
The other was Shiv Sunder Das, the man who is not in the one-day squad and is not even considered fit enough to play in tests for which he is included in the tours. Das, who was asked to stay back following the unavailability, due to injuries, of Sachin Tendulkar, Harbhajan Singh and Sanjay Bangar, top-scored with 30 that included two boundaries and a six.
Bureau Report