(Cricket news) New Zealand won the ODI series against India. It was a disappointing performance for India in what was supposed to be the start of the 2023 World Cup preparations. Kane Williamson won the toss and elected to bowl first before informing that Adam Milne is back in the side for Michael Bracewell. India went into the game unchanged as Shardul Thakur and Sanju Samson were left out.

Batting first, India’s performance was nothing short of disappointing once again. Shreyas Iyer continued his good form in ODIs by scoring 49 in 59 balls. He was the only top order batter to get going while the wickets kept falling at the other end. Washington Sundar once again stood firm and finished the innings despite not having much support. The all-rounder scored 51 in 64 balls to get India to a total of 219. Daryl Mitchell was the star of the show and the surprise package as he picked up 3 wickets. Adam Milne also got 3 wickets while Tim Southee chipped in with 2 wickets. Mitchell Santner and Lockie Ferguson got a scalp each. 

Chasing just 219, New Zealand reached 104 runs in just 18 overs and lost only one wicket of Finn Allen. The Kiwis were closing in on a massive victory but rain intervened. Umran Malik picked up a wicket while Arshdeep Singh was pretty economical. Deepak Chahar looked completely out of rhythm and didn’t have the kind of impact he usually has. A lot of these players are not a part of the Bangladesh series where the big boys will return. India will need a good performance in Bangladesh to get things back on track in the 50-over format.

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