New Delhi: India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the first One Day International here on Sunday, chasing down a target of 301 with a score of 306 for six in 49 overs.
Virat Kohli led the batting effort with a fluent 93, while captain Shubman Gill scored 56 and Shreyas Iyer contributed 49. Kohli missed out on his century by seven runs and Iyer fell just one run short of a half-century. Ravindra Jadeja was dismissed cheaply for four.
Openers Rohit Sharma and Gill gave India a steady start, scoring 26 and 56 respectively. Harshit Rana added a useful 29, while Washington Sundar remained unbeaten on seven. KL Rahul sealed the win by hitting a six off the final ball of the 49th over and finished unbeaten on 29.
Earlier, New Zealand posted 300 for eight after opting to bat first. For the visitors, Kyle Jamieson picked up four wickets, while Aditya Ashok and Chris Clark claimed one each.
With this victory, India have taken a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The second ODI will be played on January 14.
