Lights out for India as New Zealand bag opening one-dayer
AFP
9 January 1999
TAUPO, New Zealand, Jan 9 (AFP) - New Zealand beat India by five
wickets in the opening day-night cricket international at Owen
Delany Park here Saturday after a floodlight failure left the
Kiwis a reduced victory target.
In reply to India's 257, New Zealand were 168 for three off 30.4
overs when the floodlights malfunctioned causing a 50 minute
delay.
New Zealand's target was recalculated to just 33 runs off 8.2
overs and those runs were knocked off with little trouble, the
winning runs coming with an over to spare leaving the home team
at 200 for five.
Indian captain Mohammad Azahruddin said it was frustrating to
come out on the wrong side of a re-calculation but players had to
learn to cope with the disappointment.
``They are the conditions for the World Cup so we have to get used
to them,'' Azharuddin said, after the match in the North Island
town of Taupo.
``It is not ideal but I have no major complaints. It was just
unfortunate that it happened at such a crucial time.''
The match was evenly poised with India having just dismissed
danger man Craig McMillan for 73 when the floodlights went out.
On the third ball after the re-start Chris Cairns was caught at
long off for 23 but Adam Parore and Chris Harris steered New
Zealand to within six runs of the target.
After Harris was run out for 13, Dion Nash joined Parore and they
strolled to the winning score.
The feature of New Zealand's run chase was a 105-run partnership
between McMillan and Matthew Horne.
Horne made 57 off 62 balls and McMillan 73 off 115 balls.
Earlier, Rahul Dravid scored his third century in six days
against New Zealand.
After scores of 190 and 103 not out in the second test, Dravid
again turned on the class to score 123 not out, his hundred
coming in 112 balls and including eight fours.
India scored 83 in the final 10 overs with Robin Singh snr and
Hrishikesh Kanitkar striking boldly in the late overs.
New Zealand were handicapped in the field by the loss of captain
Stephen Fleming to a groin injury.
Fleming hobbled off in the 35th over and is in doubt for the
remaining four games in the series.
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