Indian cricket fans were out in force to support their national side. Photo / Paul Taylor
Officially it was a home match but at times it seemed the Indian fans in the crowd outnumbered the Black Caps' supporters.
For the thousands of flagwaving Indian followers it was a rare chance to watch their sports stars in action.
Neel Patel and his cousins travelled from Auckland to
see the match, noting that it was a "once in a four-year opportunity".
He was most excited to see Indian cricket captain, Virat Kohli.
Hawke's Bay Tourism general manager Annie Dundas said they won't know what the make-up of visitors is for some time, but having international cricket back in Hawke's Bay was brilliant.
