Arshdeep Singh gets hammered as Blair Tickner creates special ODI records in Auckland

Blair Tickner’s Late Six-Hitting Stuns India in Auckland ODI

New Zealand’s lower order gave the opening match of the ODI series against India a dramatic finish, with number 11 batter Blair Tickner launching a remarkable counterattack at Eden Park in Auckland. The fast bowler struck three sixes in a single over from Arshdeep Singh, transforming what looked like a routine end to the innings into a burst of high-impact cricket.

Tickner eventually fell for 34 from just 23 balls, but his contribution was far more than a lively cameo. He hit four sixes in total, joined an exclusive group of number 11 batters to reach that mark in an ODI innings, and helped New Zealand add valuable late runs. His performance also created a striking contrast with Arshdeep’s otherwise impressive spell: the Indian left-armer finished with four wickets, despite conceding heavily in his final over.

Tickner Turns Arshdeep’s Over Into a Momentum Shift

The defining passage came in the 38th over, when Tickner took on Arshdeep with little hesitation. The Indian bowler appeared to be searching for accurate yorkers, but a series of deliveries missed their intended length. Tickner responded by clearing the boundary with confidence, sending one full ball over long-on and following it with another maximum over long-off. He then struck a third six towards long-on.

Two wides added to the damage. Tickner scored 19 runs from the over, while New Zealand partner Jacob Duffy collected two more from the final delivery. Arshdeep conceded 23 runs in total, making it a costly over at a point when India were trying to wrap up the innings quickly.

For New Zealand, Tickner’s assault offered a late injection of momentum. Number 11 batters are often expected to defend, rotate the strike or support a specialist batter. Tickner instead backed his ability to clear the ropes, forcing India’s bowlers and fielders to respond under pressure. The sequence was a reminder that even a brief lower-order partnership can change the mood of an innings.

A Rare ODI Record for a Number 11 Batter

Tickner’s 19-run over ranks among the most productive individual overs in ODI cricket for a batter coming in at number 11. Only two players have scored more runs in an over from that position: Pakistan’s Shoaib Akhtar, who made 21 against Craig White in Cape Town in 2003, and Zimbabwe’s Brian Vitori, who scored 20 off JP Duminy in Bulawayo in 2014.

Most runs scored by a number 11 batter in an ODI over:

Shoaib Akhtar — 21 runs off Craig White, Cape Town, 2003
Brian Vitori — 20 runs off JP Duminy, Bulawayo, 2014
Blair Tickner — 19 runs off Arshdeep Singh, Auckland

The figures underline how unusual Tickner’s attack was. A number 11 batter rarely has the time or opportunity to build an innings, making a concentrated burst of six-hitting especially notable. His performance will likely feature in discussions of the most memorable lower-order cameos in the series.

Tickner Joins the Four-Sixes Club

Tickner also became only the third number 11 batter to hit four sixes in an ODI innings. Pakistan’s Mohammad Amir first achieved the feat against England in Nottingham in 2016. New Zealand’s Naseem Shah followed with four sixes against his side in Hamilton in 2025, before Tickner joined the list against India.

Number 11 batters to hit four sixes in an ODI innings:

Mohammad Amir — against England, Nottingham, 2016
Naseem Shah — against New Zealand, Hamilton, 2025
Blair Tickner — against India, Auckland

Tickner’s innings was built around calculated aggression rather than a long stay at the crease. He scored 34 runs from 23 balls, including one four and four sixes. That strike rate gave New Zealand a useful late boost and ensured the final stages of the innings remained competitive.

Gurnoor Brar Ends the Counterattack

India eventually stopped Tickner’s charge through Gurnoor Brar, who continued with a short-ball approach. Tickner attempted to create room and attack again, but his shot produced a top edge rather than another clean strike. Wicketkeeper KL Rahul moved to his left and completed the catch, ending the New Zealander’s entertaining innings.

The dismissal showed the risk that comes with an all-out attacking plan. Tickner had already made his impact, but Brar’s persistence with the tactic gave India the breakthrough they needed. The catch also prevented Tickner from adding further runs at a stage when every delivery could influence New Zealand’s final total.

Arshdeep’s Four Wickets Still Set an Indian Benchmark

Despite the expensive over, Arshdeep finished with figures of 4 for 70. The four-wicket haul gave him the best ODI figures by an Indian fast bowler in New Zealand, surpassing Mohammed Shami’s 4 for 55 in Napier in 2014. Former India seamer Javagal Srinath had also taken four wickets in New Zealand, recording 4 for 23 in Auckland in 2003 and 4 for 52 in Napier in 1995.

Tickner’s assault therefore did not erase Arshdeep’s overall achievement, but it did add a dramatic footnote to the spell. The bowler had been in contention for a fifth wicket before the over turned into a costly exchange. In limited-overs cricket, such swings are part of the contest: one batter’s fearless response can quickly alter the narrative around a bowling performance.

What Tickner’s Innings Could Mean for the Series

For New Zealand, Tickner’s late hitting offered an encouraging sign of depth and intent. Lower-order runs can prove decisive in a close ODI, especially on a ground such as Eden Park, where short boundaries can reward clean contact. His innings may also influence future prediction and analysis around the series, as teams assess how aggressively to attack the tail and which bowling plans are most effective at the death.

India, meanwhile, will take confidence from Arshdeep’s four-wicket return and Brar’s successful dismissal of Tickner. The challenge will be limiting costly overs when the tail begins swinging freely. As the ODI series continues, both sides will have fresh tactical questions to answer: whether New Zealand’s lower order can repeat its late resistance, and whether India can close out innings more economically under pressure.

Tickner’s 34-run cameo may have lasted only 23 balls, but it delivered a memorable highlight, a place in the ODI record books and a reminder that no batter should be discounted—even at number 11.