Dominant India were too hot to handle for the New Zealand team who lost the second ODI match by a huge margin of 8 wickets and subsequently the series, with one match to be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Tuesday, January 24.
After recording an impressive victory but a narrow one — by 12 runs — in the first match played at Hyderabad, the Indian bowlers turned up the heat on the New Zealand batsmen once again at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium in Raipur, a venue which was hosting its first international match ever.
In the first match, the Indian bowlers had not allowed the New Zealand batsmen to get away at all, running through half of their side without anything significant on the board when Michael Bracewell turned the tables with a spectacular century which took New Zealand close to victory.
However, the story remained the same for the New Zealand batsmen as well as their handy all-rounders who bat in the lower order as the Kiwi side was bowled out for just 108 in 34.3 overs after India decided to bowl first having won the toss.
The wrecker in chief for New Zealand was India fast bowler Mohammad Shami, who moved the new white ball dangerously to snaffle 3 early wickets in the form of Finn Allen (0), Henry Nicholls (2) and Daryl Mitchell (1) whereas Hardik Pandya and Shardul Thakur struck from the other end to get rid of Devon Conway (7) and New Zealand captain Tom Latham (1).
At one stage, New Zealand were reduced to 15 for 5.
The dangerous Glenn Phillips tried to put up a resistance in the company of Michael Bracewell as the two managed to stem the flow of wickets but could not build a strong partnership. Glenn Phillips was dismissed by India all-rounder Washington Sundar for 36 from 52 balls including 5 boundaries whereas Michael Bracewell, who played a sensational knock in the first ODI at Hyderabad, could not make the many runs that his side needed desperately.
Michael Bracewell was dismissed for 22 from 30 balls with 4 boundaries while Mitchell Santner played a handy knock of 27 from 39 balls with 3 boundaries before he was cleaned up by Hardik Pandya for his second wicket.
India used as many as six bowling options as they pushed to bowl out New Zealand with Chinaman bowler Kuldeep Yadav getting the final wicket in the form of Blair Tickner, who was trapped leg-before for 2.
With almost nothing on the board, New Zealand could not do much with a small total to defend and an aggressive Rohit Sharma to face. The Indian captain once again played a whirlwind knock, smashing 2 sixes and 7 boundaries to make 51 from just 50 balls while the other opener Shubman Gill was unbeaten on 40, having faced 53 balls and hit 6 boundaries.
If it was any consolation, New Zealand managed to keep Virat Kohli quiet for the second match on the trot with Mitchell Santner getting the batting maestro stumped for 11. Ishan Kishan was unbeaten on it when winning runs were scored as India finished at 111 from 20.4 overs at the loss of two wickets.