Black Caps crush India by 200 runs

A run-a-ball record fourth wicket partnership of 190 by captain Ross Taylor and Scott Styris has guided New Zealand to a thumping 200 run victory over India in the opening match of the one-day tri-series.

India was bundled out for 88, their lowest one-day total against New Zealand, in the 30th over after the Kiwis had run up 288 all out.

The Styris-Taylor partnership was New Zealand's best for the fourth wicket in one-day internationals, the previous highest being 168 between Lee Germon and Chris Harris against Australia in the 1996 World Cup quarter-final at Chennai.

The Black Caps recovered brilliantly from a poor start when they were reduced to 28-3 in the seventh over to post a competitive score for India to chase under lights.

Taylor inspired his team with an excellent knock of 95 off 113 balls which comprised eight fours and a six.

Styris, who reached 4000 ODI runs during his innings, smacked nine fours and a six in his swashbuckling 95-ball knock before falling 11 runs short of notching up a century.

"We are happy with the way we came back today," Taylor, who was named man of the match, said.

"We decided not to lose too many wickets early on and get a partnership going. We thought it would be great to reach 250-260 and so we were very happy to reach 288."

Taylor later admitted to some disappointment at not reaching 300.

"We were on par to get 300 to 310 so that was a disappointing part," he said after the last five wickets realised only 47 runs.

"We took the power play early. We are still trying a few different things and we still have a few areas to work on."

Both Styris and Taylor also capitalised on sloppy India fielding.

Styris was on 16 and went well down the wicket, but wicketkeeper Mahendra Singh Dhoni missed the flight of left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha's delivery and an easy stumping.

Taylor was let off on 45 when Suresh Raina failed to hold onto a one-handed diving catch as the ball flew to short extra cover off the leading edge.

However, Indian batsmen failed to handle the bounce and fell easy victims to New Zealand's disciplined attack which was consistent in length and line.

India made a decent start of the chase with 39 runs but on the last ball of the 7th over Virender Sehwag edged Mills to wicketkeeper Gareth Hopkins for 19.

Daryl Tuffey then stepped to send India spiralling to 50 for 4 in the first 12 overs as the big veteran bowler finished the match with three for 34 off eight overs.

The 32-year-old Tuffey was also involved in the run out of of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni as India crashed to 53 for five in the 14th over and only three batsmen, Ravindra Jadeja, Virender Sehwag and Dinesh Karthik reached double figures.

"Once we got that first wicket we never looked back,'' Taylor told Radio Sport this morning.

"I thought the way Kyle Mills and Daryl Tuffey bowled was outstanding and they were backed up by Jacob Oram and Andy McKay. McKay bowled with some good heat."

A disappointed Dhoni praised Taylor and Styris and the bounce the New Zealand bowlers generated.

"Taylor and Styris batted really well. We got a couple of chances, but could not capitalise on them," Dhoni said.

"When we went in to bat, their tall bowlers got a lot of bounce which put us in an awkward situation. We are very disappointed but the tournament is still on."

Taylor, who also took four catches during India's innnings, was named man of the match.

India's lowest totals in one-day international cricket are:

54 vs. Sri Lanka, Sharjah, 2000

63 vs. Australia, Sydney, 1981

78 vs. Sri Lanka, Kanpur, 1986

79 vs. Pakistan, Sialkot, 1978

88 vs. New Zealand, Dambulla, 2010

91 vs. South Africa, Durban, 2006

The second match of the tournament is between host Sri Lanka and New Zealand on Friday.

SCOREBOARD:

NEW ZEALAND
P Ingram c Dhoni b Nehra 12
M Guptill c Dhoni b Kumar 11
R Taylor lbw b Nehra 95
K Williamson b Kumar 0
S Styris b Ojha 89
J Oram lbw b Nehra 14
G Elliott st Dhoni b Singh 7
G Hopkins c Karthik b Kumar 10
D Tuffey c Ojha b Nehra 19
K Mills run out 9
A McKay not out 0

  Extras: (b-1, lb-12, w-9) 22

  Total (all out, 48.5 overs) 288

Fall of wickets: 1-15 2-27 3-28 4-218 5-236 6-241 7-254 8-277 9-288 10-288

Bowling: Kumar 9-3-43-3, Nehra 9.5-1-47-4, Mithun 4-0-24-0, Ojha 10-0-58-1, Jadeja 9-0-63-0, Singh 4-0-23-1, Sehwag 3-0-17-0

INDIA
D Karthik lbw b Tuffey 14
V Sehwag c Hopkins b Mills 19
R Sharma c Taylor b Tuffey 4
Y Singh c Taylor b McKay 5
S Raina c Styris b Tuffey 6
MS Dhoni run out 2
R Jadeja c Styris b Williamson 20
P Kumar c Taylor b Oram 1
A Mithun c Taylor b Oram 4
A Nehra c Oram b Mills 4
P Ojha not out 0

  Extras: (w-9) 9

  Total (all out, 29.3 overs) 88

Fall of wickets: 1-39 2-39 3-44 4-50 5-53 6-62 7-67 8-82 9-84 10-88

Bowling: Mills 6.3-2-26-2, Tuffey 8-1-34-3, McKay 6-0-11-1, Oram 6-0-15-2, Williamson 3-1-2-1.

-with agencies

- Reuters