- Virat Kohli hits 74 from 51 balls, his 80th ODI fifty
- India beat New Zealand by five wickets in rain-hit opener
- Arshdeep Singh takes 4-70 as New Zealand are all out for 185
- India lead the five-match series 1-0
VIRAT KOHLI hit a brilliant 74 to lead India to a five-wicket win over New Zealand in the first one-day international (ODI) at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday.
Chasing a rain-revised 143, India won with 56 balls remaining to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series, after bowling New Zealand out for 185.
Kohli, who turns 38 on Thursday, reached his 80th ODI fifty from just 35 balls. He came in at the end of the first over after former captain Rohit Sharma fell for a duck, and immediately took charge on a quick, bouncy pitch.
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He hit 13 fours and a six in his 51-ball innings, repeatedly punishing the short ball with pulls and hooks. Captain Shubman Gill made 37 from 56 balls in a 113-run partnership with Kohli.
Rain twice interrupted the chase, and when play resumed India needed a further 79 runs from 20 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis method to reach a revised 143 from 32 overs. Kohli hit double figures in each of the next three overs to all but end the contest.
Jacob Duffy took three wickets for New Zealand.
Arshdeep and Brar strike
Earlier, India won the toss and chose to bowl after a 10-minute delay for showers.
Abhishek Sharma’s 38-ball 113 powers India to series win over New Zealand
Tim Seifert, replacing Devon Conway, who was concussed in a collision with Matt Henry in training on Tuesday, top-scored with 38. Glenn Phillips made 30 and Daryl Mitchell 28, before last man Blair Tickner hit a quickfire 34 from 23 balls.
Arshdeep Singh took 4-70 and Gurnoor Brar 3-44 as New Zealand were all out in the 41st over.
The second match is in Wellington on Saturday.
(With inputs from agencies)
