Tom Latham feasts on Indian bowlers to seal New Zealand win

AUCKLAND: Tom Latham reiterated on Friday why he's an ever-dependable middle-order batter for New Zealand by striking his seventh ODI hundred to seal a seven-wicket victory over India in the first game of three-match series at Eden Park on Friday.

After Shreyas Iyer top-scored with 80 off 76 balls while captain Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill struck 72 and 50 respectively in their fourth hundred-plus stand as an opening pair this year to propel India to a challenging 306/7, New Zealand were in trouble at 88/3 in 19.5 overs.

But Latham took the game away from India, hitting an inexperienced bowling attack all over the park to end up unbeaten on a career-best score of 145 off 104 balls, laced with 19 fours and five sixes.

He also stitched an unbeaten 221-run stand off 165 balls with skipper Kane Williamson, who was the perfect ally and was unconquered at 94 not out to chase the total with 17 balls remaining. For India, they lost the plot with the ball when Latham and Williamson were attacking them, especially after the 40th over.

Earlier, Dhawan and Gill had a solid opening stand of 124 in 23.1 overs after overcoming a slow start. With the pitch not being an easy one to bat on, New Zealand were able to keep him and Shubman Gill in check in power-play. But Dhawan did hit four boundaries while Gill tonked Matt Henry over long-on for six and used his pace to ramp another maximum over keeper's head.

Ferguson broke the opening partnership by having Gil flick straight to deep square leg. In the next over, Dhawan sliced straight to backward point and became the 200th ODI wicket of Tim Southee. Ferguson then had Rishabh Pant and in-form Suryakumar Yadav falling in quick succession.

Iyer stepped up to steer India towards a huge total by stitching a 94-run stand with Sanju Samson (36). After surviving an lbw appeal and dropped catch by Latham, Iyer pressed the accelerator with his trademark slash, loft and pull off the front foot, to get his fifty. Samson found most of his boundaries by using pace from the bowlers to dab or flick and find the gaps with ease.

Though Samson holed out to fielder in the deep off Milne, Washington stepped up by smacking Southee over wide long-on for six and then ramped Milne for another maximum over third man. He then hit Henry for two fours and a six in the 49th over, before hitting another boundary in the final over to take India past 300.

Brief Scores: India 306/7 in 50 overs (Shreyas Iyer 80, Shikhar Dhawan 72; Lockie Ferguson 3/59, Tim Southee 3/73) lost to New Zealand 309/3 in 47.1 overs (Tom Latham 145 not out, Kane Williamson 94 not out; Umran Malik 2/66, Shardul Thakur 1/63) by seven wickets. IANS

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