Daryl Mitchell and Henry Nicholls topped the scoring as New Zealand posted 300 for 8 in their 50 overs, despite timely strikes from Harshit Rana, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna in the first ODI of the three-match series against India.
New Zealand, asked to bat first in the opening ODI, enjoyed a solid platform through Henry Nicholls (62 off 69) and Devon Conway (56 off 67). The momentum then swung sharply as Harshit Rana removed Conway, before Mohammed Siraj struck soon after to dismiss Will Young, leaving the Black Caps at 146/3.
After the early contributions from Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway, Daryl Mitchell was the only other New Zealand batter to make a telling impact. He counterattacked with a brisk 84 off 71 balls, striking five fours and three sixes to keep the innings moving. Just when he looked set to take the game deep, Prasidh Krishna pinned him lbw to halt the charge.
On the other hand, while Mitchell was in the middle, New Zealand kept losing partners at the other end. Glenn Phillips (12), Mitchell Hay (18) and Michael Bracewell all fell without converting their starts, and the steady flow of wickets allowed India to clamp down through the middle overs and at the death.
Kristian Clarke provided a late boost with a brisk 24 off 17 balls, cracking three fours to lift the scoring rate in the closing overs. Kyle Jamieson added 8 off 8 at the other end as New Zealand finished strongly. The Black Caps ended on 300 for 8 in their 50 overs.