New Zealand knock India off top spot

New Zealand knocked India off the top of the world one-day rankings with a 15-run Duckworth/Lewis win in Hamilton on Wednesday. The result saw Australia move to the top of the table, one point ahead of India, as New Zealand went 2-0 up in the five-game series after rain ended the game three balls short of the end of the 42nd over. The hosts had built a powerful position in spite of the two rain breaks during their innings. Coming back from an extended second delay they resumed at 170-2 and managed to add 101 runs off eight overs to ensure that India's Duckworth/Lewis adjusted 42-over target was a daunting 297. India still gave it everything in a superb chase, which saw New Zealand's fielding put under rare pressure as they posted 277-9. Virat Kohli was once again the key to the chase, batting effortlessly to post his 50 off 41 balls, but Tim Southee cut him down when he was 78 (from 65 balls), having him caught at mid-on with the score 164-4. Southee had earlier achieved his 100th ODI wicket when bowling Shikhar Dhawan (12) with a swinging yorker and then added Rohit Sharma (20) caught behind when wafting at a short ball. He finished with 4-72. After Kohli left, MS Dhoni was joined in a productive stand with Suresh Raina (35) as they added 62 runs in six and a half overs, but the pressure to score at more than 11 an over mounted. In taking a risk against Kyle Mills, Raina skied a catch to deep mid-wicket where Southee held on to leave India 226-5. Dhoni rode his luck before he mis-timed a ball from Southee that still went for six over wide long-on to bring up his half-century off 42 balls with seven fours and a six. However, Dhoni's fortune ran out when Corey Anderson induced another miscue, which was held by Kane Williamson at backward point, before Anderson swept through the tail and took 3-67. Earlier, India had pulled back the situation through New Zealand's last overs to pick up wickets and prevent an even higher target. That was largely courtesy of Mohammed Shami, who removed Ross Taylor (57) and Brendon McCullum (0) within three balls and ended up with 3-55 from seven overs. However, the damage had been done earlier by Williamson and Anderson, and to a lesser extent Taylor. Anderson was six runs, and one ball, away from adding a share of the world record for the fastest ODI half-century, to complement his fastest ODI century record, when he was caught in the deep for 44 from 17 balls. Williamson, meanwhile, provided a lesson in compiling a superb 77 from 87 balls before being beaten by the spin of Ravindra Jadeja (1-46 off eight overs) to be stumped. Earlier, Jesse Ryder again made a positive start but having hit 20 from 11 balls he caught a bottom edge from Shami's bowling, which Dhoni took with ease.