Highlights Champions Trophy 2017, India vs New Zealand, cricket scores and updates: Kohli's men win via D/L method

The Black Caps Twitter account have just confirmed that the match has been called off and India has won the warm-up fixture against New Zealand by 45 runs on D/L method.

The rain has got heavier and the umpires have decided to stop the play. The players are coming off the field. India are ahead on the D/L method.

After 24 overs,India 117/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 51 , MS Dhoni (W) 7)

Dhoni gets off the mark with a cut that races away for a boundary past point. FIFTY! A much needed knock for Kohli. 7 and 5 runs off 23rd and 24th over of the 2nd innings.

FIFTY! A fine innings from the Indian captain Virat Kohli. He has played some delightful shots but all around has built his knock on the ones and twos. India wanted their captain to get back amongst the runs and he has done exactly that.

After 22 overs,India 105/3 ( Virat Kohli (C) 47 , MS Dhoni (W) 0)

The weather has got overcast and it has started swinging around. Resulting to which, Williamson goes back to Boult and he provides his captain with a wicket of Dinesh Karthik. Kohli is closing on his fifty. Will he declare his innings after getting to the milestone? We will have to wait and see. Meanwhile, the crowd has got very excited as Dhoni walked out to bat. They would want the former Indian captain to stay till the end in this chase.

OUT! Karthik never looked settle in his short stay at the crease and he has perished. Boult bowls a back of a length delivery which gets big on Karthik as he tries to pull it. Santner accepts an easy catch at mid-wicket.

OUT! Neesham steams in and bowls is short, it is outside off and Dhawan drags his pull straight to Corey Anderson at mid-wicket. New Zealand finally break this frustrating partnership.

After 18 overs,India 95/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 39 , Virat Kohli (C) 38)

A superb pull from Dhawan off Neesham! He was in so much control of that shot that the fine leg had no chance to even near the ball. De Grandhomme bowls a decent 2nd over, only 4 runs off it.

After 16 overs,India 85/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 32 , Virat Kohli (C) 35)

Neesham comes into the attack in the 15th over and allows only 3 runs off his first over Colin de Grandhomme too introduced into the attack. On the fifth ball, he bowls a length ball outside off, Kohli guides it to the third man with a controlled outside edge. 9 runs off the 16th over.

After 14 overs,India 73/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 30 , Virat Kohli (C) 29)

Milne to bowl the 13th over. The Kiwi hits the deck hard and Dhawan dispatches it just as fast to the third man fence. Meanwhile, Kohli is being Kohli. He drives Milne down the ground and at first it seemed like he will get a boundary but only gets three. Southee keeps things tight at the other end, 2 off it.

After 12 overs,India 62/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 24 , Virat Kohli (C) 24)

India keeping it easy-peasy not taking any risks. They score 2 runs off 11th over. Southee continues and bowls it short to Kohli and the Indian captain pulls it fine for a boundary. Good running between both these Delhi batsmen means they will end the 12th over with 8 runs.

After 10 overs,India 52/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 21 , Virat Kohli (C) 17)

Milne bowling to his IPL captain Virat Kohli. Kohli attempts a straight drive but gets an inside edge which rolls away to square leg. He isn’t happy with that shot. He ends the over with a sumptuous straight drive, this time getting it right. The ball races away for a boundary. Southee will bowl the 9th over. Wow! Another beautiful straight drive from Kohli and he gets the desired result. FOUR! This time its short and outside off, Kohli cuts it hard and Neesham has a chance to catch but he makes a mess out of it.

After 8 overs,India 35/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 18 , Virat Kohli (C) 3)

Adam Milne bowls the 7th over and concedes just two runs. India in not a lot of hurry, doing it easily now. Kohli gets a brace off the fourth ball of the over by turning a short-pitched delivery to square leg. Boult is even more economical in the next over. Concedes just a run. India will be wary of getting bogged down and putting pressure on themselves. Dhawan gets hit on the helmet off a well-directed short ball.

After 6 overs,India 32/1 ( Shikhar Dhawan 18 , Virat Kohli (C) 1)

Dhawan and Kohli pick up the thread after the lunch break. Boult bowls the sixth over. The first ball shapes away. Dhawan defends. The second ball is an outswinger too and beats the outside edge of Dhawan’s bat. An appeal for LBW against Dhawan on the next ball, but the impact looks to have been outside off. Not out. The rest of the over is played out without any fuss by Dhawan and Kohli. Two runs from that over.

Time for lunch break at the Oval. India are in a good position and require 160 runs off 45 overs with nine wickets in hand.

OUT! Southee bangs it short and Rahane attempts a pull which goes straight to Trent Boult at fine leg. The Mumbai batsman is dejected and rightly so, he had an opportunity to play through the chase given the total.

After 4 overs,India 27/0 ( Ajinkya Rahane 6 , Shikhar Dhawan 15)

Dhawan has started using his feet to counter the swing and is looking more comfortable now. A full toss from Southee helped his confidence which was driven away through covers for a boundary. Dhawan also cuts Boult through point for a boundary. Positive approach from both the oepeners.

After 2 overs,India 11/0 ( Ajinkya Rahane 5 , Shikhar Dhawan 5)

Southee troubled Rahane with the outswingers but the Mumbai batsman negotiated those. Shikhar Dhawan’s struggle against left arm fast bowlers continued. He cut one straight to Neil Broom at point but the fielder put it down. He edged the fifth ball of the second over which raced away to the third man boundary for a four.

The New Zealand fielders are sauntering out in the middle. They failed to play out their 50 overs so there is time for the innings break. Shikhar Dhawan and Ajinkya Rahane to open the innings. Tim Southee to start the proceedings for the Kiwis.

OUT! New Zealand have been bundled out for 189! A collective bowling effort from all the bowlers, really. Coming back to the wicket, it was a length delivery, outside off, Boult gave himself room and looked to go over covers but Shami, at that position, reverse cupped the catch.

After 38 overs,New Zealand 186/9 ( Jimmy Neesham 45 , Trent Boult 7)

Jimmy Neesham is still hanging around and he should try to take New Zealand’s score over 200. This pitch looks good for 260-270 but the Kiwis have put up lackluster performance. Kohli, meanwhile, is rotating his bowlers and allowing everyone to have a go.

OUT! Kohli goes to Bhuvneshwar Kumar for a wicket and the UP pacer has provided that for his captain. A length ball which Southee tries to drive but he was playing away from the body. He inside edges it onto his stumps.

OUT! Milne was constantly being troubled by the short balls and that delivery itself ends his stay at the crease. Umesh hits the deck hard and keeps it around leg, Milne looks to pull it away but only manages to glove it to Dhoni. New Zealand lose their eighth wicket.

After 32 overs,New Zealand 154/7 ( Jimmy Neesham 28 , Adam Milne 8)

Umesh Yadav, like Ravichandran Ashwin, is trying out new things. He bowled a leg break, something we saw him do in the 2017 IPL. He has consistently bowled yorkers too. Mohammed Shami comes back into the attack and is on a hat-trick. But Milne drove his first delivery to mid off for a single. Neesham failed to score a single run off the remaining five balls.

After 30 overs,New Zealand 148/7 ( Jimmy Neesham 26 , Adam Milne 4)

Neesham is taking on Ashwin here. He is coming down the ground, going back, basically trying everything to disturb his rhythm. Anderson uses his feet and clips in front of square on the leg side. The fine leg fielder hares across to stop it but fails. Ashwin is not happy with that effort but to be honest, even a fielder like Jadeja would have found it difficult to save that boundary.

After 28 overs,New Zealand 138/7 ( Jimmy Neesham 18 , Adam Milne 2)

Umesh Yadav replaces Ravindra Jadeja and gives two runs off his first over. Ashwin to continue from the other end, he, I feel, will bowl 10 overs given the lack of match practice he has got in the last couple of months.

OUT! I don’t understand what is the hurry, asks Sanjay Manjrekar on air quite correctly. A nicely tossed up delivery by Ashwin after he sees Santner charge down the ground. The southpaw still went for the shot and holed out to Jadeja at long on.

After 24 overs,New Zealand 123/6 ( Mitchell Santner 11 , Jimmy Neesham 6)

Whatever issues the New Zealand batsmen were having against the Indian bowlers have been doubled since the spinners have come into the attack. Lack of communication between Santner and Neesham almost results in a run out. But the fielder took time to run in from mid-wicket to short mid-wicket and that saved Santner.

OUT! New Zealand are falling apart. Colin de Grandhomme comes down the track to drive Jadeja but the bowler bowls it quick. The batsman fails to get bat to ball. Dhoni collects the ball and swiftly whips the bails off. Outstanding keeping!

After 22 overs,New Zealand 114/5 ( Mitchell Santner 10 , Colin de Grandhomme 2)

Days before the Indian cricket team left for England, Ashwin had revealed that he has some new tricks planned for the Champions Trophy. And now we know at least one of those tricks, a leg break. He has bowled that a few times in Test cricket though.  However, the batsman, Colin de Grandhomme read it and negotiated it.

OUT! You simply don’t attempt a cut against Jadeja, more often than not you will end on the losing side. Jadeja darts one around off, Ronchi looks to cut, but the ball is too close to his body, he fails to connect and the ball goes onto crash into the stumps.

After 20 overs,New Zealand 108/4 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 64 , Mitchell Santner 8)

Spin from both ends and we know how that ends. Super fast overs. Anyways, Jadeja was being himself in his first over, bowled tight lines and conceded only one run. While Ashwin, after a two month break, came back to bowl in the 20th over. A decent over first up, only 3 off it.

After 18 overs,New Zealand 104/4 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 61 , Mitchell Santner 7)

Despite the wickets, Luke Ronchi has decided to not change his approach. Ronchi goes back and tonks Hardik over mid off for a six. But Hardik responds well and allows only three runs off the remaining five deliveries.

After 16 overs,New Zealand 92/4 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 53 , Mitchell Santner 4)

The Indian pacers are all over New Zealand batsmen. Except Luke Ronchi, none of them seemed to have any answer to the questions that were put forward by the pacers. The onus is now on Ronchi to bring some stability to the New Zealand innings.

OUT! Bhuvneshwar Kumar has the last laugh against the dangerous looking Corey Anderson. Bhuvi bowls a back of a length delivery, Anderson backs away and tries to pull it away only to connect thin air. He misses but the white object doesn’t, off comes the leg stump. Time for drinks with that wicket.

After 14 overs,New Zealand 86/3 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 51 , Corey Anderson 13)

Corey Anderson after being cautious early on has decided to take the attack to the opposition. Virat Kohli brought Hardik Pandya back into the attack albeit unsuccessfully as the Bardoa pacer went for 9 in his comeback over.

FIFTY! Ronchi looks to flick Bhuvi away but it takes the leading edge and runs away to the third man fence for a single. The Kiwi won’t mind that. A patchy innings but he will take that.

After 12 overs,New Zealand 71/3 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 49 , Corey Anderson 0)

Luke Ronchi clearly struggling against Jasprit Bumrah. While Corey Anderson is taking his time to settle.

After 10 overs,New Zealand 70/3 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 48 , Corey Anderson 0)

Though Shami has been slightly expensive, he has provided the breakthroughs for India. Not to mention Bumrah’s top overs which put the New Zealand batsmen in pressure.

OUT! Shami’s first three deliveries of his 5th over went for 4, 4 and a 6. But he has come back strongly. First got rid of Williamson and now induced a nick off Broom to Dhoni. The Kiwi goes for a golden duck.

OUT! Williamson goes on the back foot and looks to punch Shami through covers but ends up edging it to Rahane at first slip, who completes the regulation catch. The captain takes the long walk back to the pavilion for 8.

After 8 overs,New Zealand 48/1 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 27 , Kane Williamson (C) 8)

India has regained some control after Jasprit Bumrah got introduced into the attack. Runs not coming that easily. Makes a difference when the captain has a thinking bowler. He has beaten Ronchi both on the top edge and the outside edge.Dropped! The dot balls forced Ronchi to take a risk and he did. However, Ashwin failed to grab the opportunity at mid on.

After 5 overs,New Zealand 35/1 ( Luke Ronchi (W) 14 , Kane Williamson (C) 8)

India have bowled many length deliveries early on, a few were put away behind the fence and one went straight to Bhuvneshwar Kumar mid off. Hardik Pandya took the second new ball which is an indication of the things to come in the tournament.

OUT! The length ball finally works! Guptill looks to loft it over mid off but doesn’t time it well at all. Bhuvneshwar pouches it with ease at that position. Virat congratulates Shami.

Team India in a last minute huddle after Black Caps win toss and elect to bat first

Jasprit Bhumrah’s death bowling will hold key for the Men in Blue

Bumrah will be a key member for India in their defence of the Champions Trophy and would be more than a handful for opposition batsmen in pacer-friendly conditions in England.

Bumrah’s biggest asset is that he can choke an opposition at crunch times along with getting you wickets with his variations. The fact that he is a specialist at death bowling is beyond question, but, as former Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni once pointed out, Bumrah is quite good with the new ball too.

Bhuvneshwar will be the leader of the pack

As India begin their title defence on 4 June, there are some key players who will play a major role in India’s campaign. One of them will be 27-year-old pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar. 

While Bhuvneshwar will have to deal with bowlers of similar experience as him, his all-rounded abilities as a fast bowler makes him the ideal candidate to spearhead the Indian pace attack.

India’s hopes in this year’s Champions Trophy will be largely pinned on how their pacers bowl, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar’s performance will be even more key for India’s chances considering he will be equally useful at both ends of the innings.

India to kickstart their campaign today

The Men in Blue will take on the Black Caps in a warm-up match at The Oval on Sunday. Ace southpaw Yuvraj Singh will miss the match due to a viral fever.