After the high of winning the T20I series 1-0, India went behind early in the ODI series that began with hosts New Zealand chasing down the target of 307 with 17 balls spare and 7 wickets in hand.
The game hung in balance – perhaps even tilted toward India – when New Zealand was 88/3 inside 20 overs. But then walked in Tom Latham, who averaged 53 against India before this game, and joined hands with the ever-reliable ODI batter and skipper Kane Williamson.The pair forged a terrific partnership of 221* runs from 165 balls but without going hammer and tongs, instead with precision, smarts, and placement, and were aided by some poor bowling from the Indian bowlers.
Latham scored 145 unbeaten runs in 104 balls with the help of 19 fours and 5 sixes, while Williamson remained not out on 94 from 98 balls and stroked 7 fours and a six.Dhawan mentioned the 40th over of the New Zealand innings as the turning point in the chase and where the momentum shifted toward New Zealand. In that over Tom Latham took apart Shardul Thakur for 4 fours and a six in a 25-run over, bringing up his century on the last ball with a single off 76 deliveries. Thakur pitched it short and with his medium pace, it was going to pose any problems for Latham who peppered the short leg-side boundary.
“Today we’ve bowled short of length and Latham attacked us there. That’s where he took the game away from us especially in the 40th over. That’s where the momentum shifted,” Shikhar Dhawan said at the post-match presentation.
