Cricket: Black Caps fail with bat in Indian defeat

New Zealand batsman Luke Ronchi

A poor batting display by New Zealand today showed they have work, and hard thinking, to do as the Champions Trophy comes into view later this week.

In their penultimate warmup to the eight-nation tournament, New Zealand were dismissed for a disappointing 189 in just 38.4 overs by India at the Oval, going on to lose the match under the Duckworth Lewis method by 45 runs.

India reached 129 for three in 26 overs - captain Virat Kohli making an unbeaten 52 - before rain intervened.

But New Zealand, who had won the toss, were guilty of wasting a chance for a quality batting workout with only two batsmen reaching 15.

Opener Luke Ronchi did his prospects of holding the wicketkeeping-openers job no harm with a bracing 66 off 62 balls; and allrounder Jimmy Neesham made an unbeaten 46 off 47 balls.

Take out Corey Anderson's 13 and Mitchell Santner's laboured 12 off 29 balls and no one else made double figures. In-form pair Tom Latham and Ross Taylor had the day off.

Opener Martin Guptill lifted a catch to deep mid off for nine; captain Kane Williamson edged to second slip for eight and Neil Broom went first ball, caught behind, all three falling to the lively Mohammad Shami; and big-hitting Colin de Grandhomme was hopelessly stranded down the pitch and stumped off spinner Ravi Jadeja for four.

The match was not an official ODI, teams being able to use up to 14 players apiece, but even so New Zealand, having won the toss, should have been up for more.

Three spilled catches all off luckless left armer Trent Boult didn't help.

Broom dropped Shikhar Dhawan on one, at backward point; Santner spilled a tough opportunity at short cover off Kohli; and de Grandhomme palmed an MS Dhoni shot over the fence for six.

India's bowling was impressive but New Zealand's batting was ordinary. There was a clear vibe that it was no more than a practice hitout. However one team certainly got more out of the contest than the other.

Ronchi was impressive, striking six fours to go with a brace of sixes. His footwork good as he twice lifted balls over the boundary at mid wicket and long off. Neesham did a decent job of auditioning for an allrounders spot when the trophy starts against Australia next weekend.

The final warmup match is against Sri Lanka at Edgbaston on Tuesday night.

"It was nice to make a few runs," Ronchi said.

"Be aggressive, that's my natural way of batting. If I can take that approach to the bowlers and it comes off and gets us off to a flier brilliant, but there's a chance of me getting out early," Ronchi admitted.