Pune: A good batting display helped India beat New Zealand by six wickets in the second One Day International at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium here on Wednesday.
With this result, India equalised the three match ODI series. In the first match, India were defeated by the visitors by six wickets in Mumbai.
India’s Shikhar Dhawan (68), Dinesh Karthik (64 not out) scored handsomely for the cause.
It was a bad start for India as opener Rohit Sharma (7) departed with just 22 runs on the board. The right-hand batsman was dismissed by pacer Tim Southee in the fifth over.
But Dhawan and skipper Virat KOhli (29) then forged a 58-run second wicket partnership before in-form Kohli was dismissed by Colin de Grandhomme in the 14th over. Kohli slammed three fours and one six in his 29 ball innings.
Unperturbed by the fall of Kohli’s wicket, Dhawan smashed the visitors bowlers all around the park to bring up his 22nd ODI half-century.
Karthik, on the other hand, kept on supporting Dhawan by giving him the strike and punishing the bad balls.
But after adding 18 runs to his half-century, Dhawan was sent packing by Adam Milne in the 30th over. Dhawan’s 84- ball 68 comprised of five fours and two sixes.
Incoming batsman Hardik Pandya (30) then joined Karthik and the duo played sensibly. Both batsmen added 59 runs to make their team cross the 200-run mark.
But soon, Pandya was dismissed by Mitchell Santner in the 41st over when the scoreboard read 204.
Needing 26 runs in 10 overs, incoming batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni (18 not out) and Karthik completed the proceedings comfortably with four overs remaining.
For New Zealand, Adam Milne was the most succesfull bowler, scalping one wicket for 21 runs.