Advertisement
Advertisement
INDORE: Virat Kohli’s 124 went in vain as New Zealand outplayed India to win the three-match ODI series against India.
Set a daunting 338, India fell short by 41 runs as New Zealand bowled them out for 296 in 41 overs.
The victory marked the Blackcaps’ first ODI series win in India, after failing to achieve the feat previously.
The in-form Kohli, who plays just the 50-over format after retiring from Test and T20 international cricket, threatened to pull off the chase in a 99-run seventh-wicket partnership with Harshit Rana, who made 52.
New Zealand left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox returned figures of 2-42 from his 10 overs after captain Michael Bracewell left the field with a calf injury and did not return.
Mitchell led the team in Bracewell’s absence, which also left New Zealand a bowler short.
Zak Foulkes and fellow seamer Kristian Clarke took three wickets each.
India slumped to 71-4 before Kohli hit back in an 88-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 53, and then with Rana.
Kohli struck 10 fours and three sixes in his 108-ball knock before he was caught off Clarke and walked back to a rousing ovation af
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips struck counter-attacking centuries as New Zealand posted 337-8
New Zealand slipped to 5-2 and then 58-3 after being invited to bat first in Indore before Mitchell and Phillips put on 219 runs for the fourth wicket.
Mitchell made 137 and Phillips hit 106 off 88 balls to take the attack to the opposition bowlers as New Zealand look for their first ODI series win in India.
The in-form Mitchell picked up where he left off from his match-winning 131 not out in the previous match, which levelled the series at 1-1.
Mitchell reached his ninth ODI ton with a single of Ravindra Jadeja, letting out a scream and celebrating with his partner.
Phillips reached his hundred off Arshdeep Singh and pointed his bat to the sky as the crowd and the New Zealand dressing room stood to applaud.
Arshdeep finally got Phillips caught behind to end the marathon stand and Mitchell soon followed after falling to Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand wobbled with four more wickets but captain Michael Bracewell hammered an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls to boost their total.
Left-arm quick Arshdeep struck in the first over when he bowled Henry Nicholls for a first-ball duck and Harshit Rana removed Devon Conway for five in the next over.
Rana stuck again to remove Will Young for 30 but Mitchell and Phillips then rebuilt the innings and put New Zealand on course to a challenging total.
The series will be followed by five T20s ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and March 8.
READ: Dominant Afghanistan crush West Indies in U19 World Cup
