New Zealand Creates History with First ODI Series Win in India
INDORE: The color of the ball does not matter. New Zealand continues to dominate India in cricket. On Sunday, the Black Caps achieved a historic milestone. They defeated India by 41 runs in the third and deciding ODI at a packed Holkar Stadium. This victory gave New Zealand their first-ever ODI series win in India. The series ended with a 2-1 verdict in favor of the visitors.
An Inexperienced Squad Delivers Incredible Performance
This New Zealand squad arrived in India with limited experience. Eight players were touring India for the first time. Five players had played less than 10 ODIs before this tour. The team included a debutant in each of the first two matches. Despite this inexperience, the Kiwis displayed outstanding cricket. They recorded a memorable series win.
New Zealand's victory also ended India's unbeaten run at the Holkar Stadium. India had won seven consecutive ODIs at this venue before Sunday's defeat.
Kohli's Century and India's Fightback
Virat Kohli played a brilliant innings for India. He slammed his 54th ODI century. Kohli scored a gallant 124 runs off 108 balls. His knock included 10 fours and 3 sixes. He formed a crucial partnership with allrounder Harshit Rana.
Rana proved his worth once again. He scored his maiden half-century in ODIs. Rana made 52 runs off 43 balls with 4 fours and 4 sixes. He also took 3 wickets for 84 runs in his 10 overs. Kohli and Rana added 99 runs for the seventh wicket in just 69 balls. This partnership kept India in the contest.
The Turning Point and India's Collapse
The match turned dramatically in the 44th over. Henry Nicholls sprinted from long on to take a stunning catch. He dismissed Harshit Rana off a full toss by Zak Foulkes. After this dismissal, India collapsed quickly.
India lost their last four wickets for just 19 runs in 16 balls. They were bowled out for 296 in 46 overs. Zak Foulkes finished with 3 wickets for 54 runs in 9 overs. Two other Kiwi bowlers playing their maiden international series also contributed significantly.
Pacer Kristian Clarke took 3 wickets for 54 runs. Left-arm spinner Jaydon Lennox claimed 2 wickets for 42 runs. Together, these three bowlers secured five crucial wickets for New Zealand.
New Zealand's Formidable Batting Display
Asked to bat first on a good pitch, New Zealand posted a formidable total. They scored 337 runs for the loss of 8 wickets. The innings was built on sparkling centuries by Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips.
Daryl Mitchell played a career-best knock. He scored 137 runs off 131 balls with 15 fours and 3 sixes. Glenn Phillips contributed 106 runs off 88 balls including 9 fours and 3 sixes. The pair added 219 runs for the fourth wicket in just 188 balls. This partnership proved match-turning for New Zealand.
India's Chase and Early Struggles
Chasing 338 runs, India faced early trouble. They lost key wickets cheaply. Rohit Sharma was dismissed for 23 runs. Shubman Gill made 23 runs off 18 balls with 4 fours. Shreyas Iyer managed only 3 runs. KL Rahul, who scored a century in Rajkot, fell for just 1 run.
India found themselves struggling at 71 for 4 in the 13th over. Virat Kohli then provided hope with an 88-run partnership for the fifth wicket. He partnered with allrounder Nitsh Kumar Reddy who scored 53 runs off 57 balls with 2 fours and 2 sixes.
However, New Zealand struck back quickly. They dismissed Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession. Jadeja scored 12 runs and conceded 41 runs in 6 overs without taking a wicket. His ODI future now faces uncertainty with Axar Patel waiting for opportunities.
Despite fighting knocks from Kohli, Reddy, and Rana, India fell short by 41 runs. New Zealand's comprehensive performance secured their historic series victory on Indian soil.
