Pitch riles Fleming and Ganguly

India 108 New Zealand 109-7 N Zealand win by 3 wickets

The rival captains Stephen Fleming and Sourav Ganguly were both critical of the Eden Park "drop-in" pitch after New Zealand won the first one-day international here yesterday in near-farcical conditions.

The New Zealand all-rounder Jacob Oram took 5 for 26 and was then top scorer with 27 not out for the Kiwis as the home side won by three wickets. But the dominating topic afterwards was the state of the temporary wicket upon which batsmen from both sides failed to make an impact.

"It fooled me. I thought it was going to be a good wicket and that's why I bowled first," Fleming said. "We want to see quality cricket and you get quality cricket from good pitches."

Ganguly said the type of wicket India had faced in the first two Tests – both won by New Zealand – and yesterday's match would turn the public off the game. "It doesn't help the batsmen from either side and it doesn't help cricket," he said. "If you get too many 100 each-side games then people just won't turn up."

FIRST ONE-DAY INTERNATIONAL (Auckland): India 108 (J D P Oram 5-26); New Zealand 109 for 7 (J Srinath 4-23). New Zealand won by three wickets and lead best-of-seven series 1-0.