4 Indian bowlers who dominated New Zealand at home with memorable five-wicket hauls in ODIs ft. Krishnamachari Srikkanth

Team India will play New Zealand in a three-match ODI series at home from January 11 to January 18. This will be India’s first international series of the New Year. The matches will be played in three different cities across India.

The first ODI will be held at the BCA Stadium, Kotambi, in Vadodara. The second match will take place at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot on January 14. The third and final ODI will be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on January 18.

India and New Zealand have played 120 ODI matches so far. India has won 62 matches, while New Zealand have won 50. One match ended in a tie, and seven matches ended with no result. In home conditions, India has won 31 out of 40 ODIs against New Zealand.

Indian bowlers have given some strong performances against New Zealand in home ODIs. In this feature, we look at four Indian bowlers who have taken five-wicket hauls against the Kiwis in India.

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1. Mohammad Shami (7/57 and 5/54)
Senior fast bowler Mohammad Shami has taken two five-wicket hauls against New Zealand in home ODIs. He produced an outstanding spell of 7/57 in 9.5 overs during the first semifinal of the 2023 World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai. In that match, Shami dismissed Devon Conway (13), Rachin Ravindra (13), Kane Williamson (69), Tom Latham (0), and Daryl Mitchell with a brilliant bowling performance.

Shami also claimed figures of 5/54 in Dharamsala during the league stage of the same World Cup. Bowling first, he removed Will Young (17) and later dismissed Rachin Ravindra (75) with a well-disguised slower ball before cleaning up the lower order. India restricted New Zealand to 273 and successfully chased the target in 48 overs, with Virat Kohli scoring 95 runs.

2. Kris Srikkanth (5/27 and 5/32)
Former India opener Kris Srikkanth is a surprising name on this list. An occasional off-spinner, he took 25 wickets in 146 ODI matches. Both of his five-wicket hauls came during the home series against New Zealand in December 1988, helping him finish his ODI career with a bowling average of 25.64.

Srikkanth took 5/27 from seven overs in the first ODI at Visakhapatnam. He dismissed Ken Rutherford (67), Ian Smith (6), Trevor Franklin (21), John Bracewell (12), and Chris Kuggeleijn (4) as India restricted New Zealand to 196 for nine. He then scored 70 runs off 87 balls to help India win the match by four wickets. In the third ODI at Indore, Srikkanth picked up 5/32 from six overs as New Zealand were held to 169 for nine while chasing 223.

3. Amit Mishra (5/18)
Former India leg-spinner Amit Mishra delivered a superb performance with figures of 5/18 from six overs against New Zealand in Visakhapatnam in October 2016. It was the fifth and final ODI of the series. Mishra bowled two maiden overs as New Zealand were bowled out for 79 in 23.1 overs, chasing India’s total of 269 for six.

Mishra dismissed Ross Taylor (19), BJ Watling (0), James Neesham (3), Tim Southee (0), and Ish Sodhi (0). His accurate and attacking bowling helped India win the match by 190 runs and clinch the series 3–2.

4. Manoj Prabhakar (5/33)
Former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar took 5/33 from 10 overs against New Zealand in Amritsar in November 1995. The match was the second ODI of the six-game series. India bowled out New Zealand for 145 in 44.1 overs and chased down the target in 43.4 overs to win by six wickets and level the series 1–1.

Prabhakar made early breakthroughs by dismissing Mark Greatbatch (2) and Martin Crowe (2). He also removed Shane Thomson (14), Lee Germon (9), and Dion Nash (0) to complete his five-wicket haul. For his match-winning performance, Prabhakar was named Player of the Match.