The gloomy unpredictability that hung over McLean Park on Tuesday morning set the tone for the rest of the day. The match-eve clear blue sky was nowhere to be seen as the clouds,after an overnight journey from the seas,made a day-long pit-stop at Napier. Nothing went along predictable lines after that,and by the end of the day,it was the Indian team who took the lead in the five-match ODI series,defeating New Zealand by 53 runs to win the first match. Looking at the conditions,edgy Indian fans feared batting blues,but their team went on to score 273/4 in 38 overs. At that point,it seemed like nothing could lower the decibel level of the noisy India corner in the stadium. But the mid-innings announcement about the attack on Sri Lankan cricketers in Pakistan saw a sudden silence. The day got gloomier and it wasnt just Napier that had dark clouds over it. The players and the umpires were now wearing black bands. The world attention certainly wasnt on the opening game of the No 3 and No 4 team on the ICC ODI ranking list. Praveen Kumars early strikes,the escalating D/L equations and the virtual surrender meant India won the first one-dayer by 53 runs. The unpredictability of the weather also had an effect on the Kiwi cricketers. After showing steel in the two T20s,they lost here without a fight. While the Indians didnt put a foot wrong,Virender Sehwag lasted longer to score a trademark 77 and Sachin Tendulkar looked in great touch during his 20. Raina continued to impress with his 39-ball 66. But it was Dhoni at No 3 who stole the show with a fine 84. After the T20 games,Dhoni had asked his batsmen to show some restraint and thats what they did as he anchored his team to a winning total.
