Arshdeep joins Srinath and Shami in elite list as India bowl out NZ for 185

Arshdeep Singh

Arshdeep Singh joined Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Shami as the third Indian fast bowler to take a four-wicket haul in New Zealand, news agency ANI reported. He achieved the feat in the first ODI against New Zealand at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, finishing with figures of 4/70 from his 10 overs.Arshdeep's spell is the fourth-best by an Indian pacer in New Zealand. Srinath holds the top two positions with figures of 4/23 in Auckland in 2003 and 4/52 in Napier in 1995. Shami is third with 4/55 in Napier in 2014.

Another wicket would have given Arshdeep his second five-wicket haul in ODIs and made him only the second Indian to take a five-for in New Zealand. Anil Kumble remains the only Indian to have achieved the feat, with figures of 5/33 in Wellington in 1994.Arshdeep has taken 12 wickets in five ODIs this year at an average of 23.08 and an economy rate of 6.08. His best figures during this period are 6/70.Speaking after the innings, Arshdeep said the conditions in New Zealand offered assistance to the bowlers and made it enjoyable to bowl."Loving the weather here and there is good purchase off the surface. After coming from the subcontinent, when you get some life in the wickets, it's always a pleasure to bowl here.

And yeah, the wind is helping as well," he said.Explaining India's use of short-pitched deliveries, Arshdeep said the team looked to make the most of the assistance on offer from the surface."I felt like there was something in the wicket, so we were just trying to hit the seam hard and try to get purchase off the surface. And they were trying some shots of that length, so we got the wickets."

The left-arm pacer said he was particularly disappointed to miss out on a fifth wicket."Favourite one would have been the fifth one, which I didn't get. So I am still searching for one," he said.Arshdeep also explained his dancing celebration after dismissing Kyle Jamieson, revealing that it was dedicated to his girlfriend, actor-model Samreen Kaur."That is for my girlfriend. We do these dance steps when we're out walking or something like that. Whenever the mood is a little low, we cheer each other up with that celebration. So this was for her," he added.Arshdeep's four-wicket haul helped India restrict New Zealand to 185 in the opening match of the five-ODI series at Eden Park. The Indian bowling attack made use of the conditions to keep the hosts' batting line-up in check.