India v New Zealand, 2nd ODI, Kotla: In capital, big gain for Kiwis

NEW DELHI: As the second One-dayer unfolded, it seemed as if the two teams had conspired to set up an exhibition of Kane Williamson and MS Dhoni's ingenuity and fortitude here at the Ferozeshah Kotla.
The chips were down and the stage was set -twice -for the two captains to showcase their ability to lead by example. And then cheeky, insouciant and exciting Hardik Pandya turned up with bat in hand to almost usurp the limelight with a cameo.Almost. India needed 33 off the last 26 balls, then 16 off the last two overs, but having bludgeoned one to the mid-off fence and eased the pressure on himself, Pandya's cricketing sense betrayed him as he sought maximum impact again and top-edged a short ball.
That was the end of India's chances as New Zealand won their first game on this tour, a six-run win in a match which hung in the balance right through to the tense last moments, when Pandya and Umesh Yadav fought bravely to turn the tide. The last-minute drama was a distraction as the decision had actually been made much before, when Kane Williamson, in a marked departure from the norm in this series, won the battle of captains.
Having lost yet another toss, Williamson played superlative lone ranger, fighting forehand cramps and finding his timing to score his first ODI century against India (118; 128 balls; 14x4, 1x6) even as the rest of the batting imploded around him in spectacular fashion. Thanks to Williamson, the Kiwis set a target of 243, which was definitely above par for a Kotla pitch which tends to get slower as the game progresses.
Then, with the top-order floundering and India sinking to 734 by the 20th over, it was Dhoni's turn to show that his powers and abilities with the bat were still indispensable.
But the required one-man show never arrived. Though Dhoni stitched up a 66-run partnership with Kedar Jadhav (41), he seemed to look diffident. As the asking rate climbed, he again fell on the cusp of stepping up a gear, managing a 65ball 39.
Incidentally, the second-highest score in the game, after Williamson's ton, was Tom Latham's 46.
It seemed as if India would have it easy, though, when the Kiwis made a hash of it after their captain's dismissal, allowing India's second-string bowling attack to shake off the creeping self-doubts and impose themselves on the game as the death overs yielded a trickle of runs.
From the second ball of the 38th over to the fifth ball of the 49th, the Kiwis failed to find the fence.
Williamson's stay was shorn of frills but just what the doctor ordered for the Kiwis. Displaying rare certitude, he stitched together a 120-run second-wicket partnership with Tom Latham (a run-a-ball 46) and a 46-run stand with Corey Anderson.
Martin Guptill has been completely luckless on this tour and he got the ball of the day from Umesh Yadav, a peach of a delivery on a slightly fuller length which swung away a fraction and uprooted off stump. It was only the second ball of the day.
In contrast, Williamson was dropped twice, and Latham once on 10 as Yadav failed to latch on to a sharp return catch. As Dhoni admitted later, India paid a heavy price for both. "These things add up in the end," he said.