New Zealand’s openers Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway made headlines in the first ODI against India with a run that broke some records.
Nicholls notched his first 50-plus score in seven ODI innings in India, ending a long personal lean patch.
Meanwhile, Conway continued his consistent form, registering his third 50-plus score on Indian soil, having converted his previous two into centuries. He recently went unsold in the IPL 2026 Mini Auction.
Nicholls & Conway Lead The Charge
Nicholls and Conway’s stand of 100-plus runs marked New Zealand’s first century-opening partnership away from home since 2019, when Martin Guptill and Colin Munro shared 137* against Sri Lanka in Cardiff during the ICC World Cup.
It was also a rare feat against India in India, being the first 100-plus stand by any team in the country since March 2023, when Australia’s Travis Head and Mitchell Marsh posted 121* in Vizag.
Here’s a look at some of the biggest 100-plus opening wicket stands against India in 50-over cricket:
- 140 – Andrew Jones, John Wright, Vadodara (MB), 1988
- 117 – Devon Conway, Henry Nicholls, Vadodara (BCA), 2026*
- 115 – Nathan Astle, Craig Spearman, Rajkot, 1999
This partnership set the tone for New Zealand’s innings, provided a solid platform against a strong Indian bowling attack and highlighting the openers’ ability to dominate, albeit with a few lifelines gifted by the fielders.
Ultimately, Henry Nicholls was dismissed on 62 off 69 deliveries by Harshit Rana. Conway was also dismissed by Rana, just a little bit later on 56 off 67 balls, with his stumps knocked over.
New Zealand, batting first, will have to set a challenging total on the board, since the conditions seem batting-friendly, and due will very likely factor in during the chase in the evening.
While their solid opening stand has been breached, other batsmen like Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips (yet to come out as of this writing) have to potential to keep the momentum going.