Arshdeep Singh makes history, joins Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Shami in elite list as India beat New Zealand for 185

Arshdeep Singh joined Javagal Srinath and Mohammed Shami as the third Indian fast bowler to take four wickets in New Zealand, news agency ANI reported. He did so 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 give Arshdeep his second five-wicket haul in ODIs and make him only the second Indian to take a five-wicket haul in New Zealand. Anil Kumble remains the only Indian to achieve this, 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 in this period are 6/70.After the innings, Arshdeep said that the conditions in New Zealand offered help to the bowlers and made them happy.“Loving the weather here and there is a good buy off the surface. Coming from the subcontinent, when you have a bit of life in the wickets, it’s always a pleasure to bowl here. And yes, the wind helps too,” he said.Explaining India’s use of short-span deliveries, Arshdeep said the team tried to make the most of the help offered from the surface.“I felt like there was something in the wicket, so we just tried to hit the seam hard and try to get buy off the surface. And they were trying some shots of that length, so we got wickets.”The left-arm pacer said he was particularly disappointed to miss out on the fifth wicket.“The favorite would be the fifth one, which I didn’t get. So I’m still looking,” he said.Arshdeep also explained his dance party after firing Kyle Jamieson, revealing that it was dedicated to his girlfriend, actor-model Samreen Kaur.“This is for my girlfriend. We do these dance steps when we’re out for a walk or something. Whenever the mood is a little down, we cheer ourselves up with the party. So this was for her,” he added.Arshdeep’s four-wicket haul helped India restrict New Zealand to 185 in the opener of the five-ODI series at Eden Park. The Indian bowling attack took advantage of the conditions to contain the hosts’ batting line-up.