New Zealand crumble around Williamson’s 118

New Zealand 242 for 9 (Williamson 118, Bumrah 3-35, Mishra 3-60) v IndiaLive scorecard and ball-by-ball details

It took five matches, but a New Zealand batsman finally recorded a hundred on this tour. Kane Williamson came to the crease in the first over and did not budge until the 43rd. By that time he had 118 runs off 128 balls. The timing of his wicket gave India an opening and they were able to restrict the total to 242 for 9 at the Feroz Shah Kotla.

Besides the fact that New Zealand have been unable to win a single match on tour – they have struggled to win tosses too – plenty of challenges came Williamson’s way. Not least of which was his own body refusing to cooperate. He began cramping up in the Delhi heat – and it became contagious. His left forearm caught it first, then his right, and at one point he couldn’t even lift a bottle to drink. But when play resumed, he smacked Hardik Pandya over his head to the long-on boundary.

In the past, when faced with such determination, India’s bowlers have been guilty of switching off. But there were two passages of play – the middle overs and then the final ten – that they simply dominated.

And it was the result of a simple plan – go after Williamson’s partners. Ross Taylor was worked over so completely that it seemed like the ball had a restraining order against the middle of his bat. When it was short and wide, he’d get an inside edge. When it was down leg, he’d miss the flick. He was trying to hit the ball so hard that on one occasion his helmet nearly wobbled off. New Zealand had been chugging along before his entry at the Feroz Shah …

continue reading in source www.espncricinfo.com