Virat Kohli was the last man standing between New Zealand and their maiden limited-overs bilateral series win in India in Indore on Sunday. When he fell, it was all over for India.
Kohli played like a wall, hardened further by a gritty half-century from Nitish Kumar Reddy and a valiant 43-ball 52 by Harshit Rana, bringing India’s run chase back on track.
But such was New Zealand’s on-field discipline that nothing proved to be enough for India. New Zealand won the third and final ODI by 41 runs and the 2-1 series win is their first-ever in white-ball cricket on Indian soil.
For a team to register a come-from-behind series win despite a huge amount of inexperience in its bowling attack certainly reflects the character of these New Zealanders. Not to forget, they couldn’t avail of the off-break bowling of their stand-in captain Michael Bracewell on Sunday due to a left-calf discomfort.
Even on Sunday, braving a forgettable start upfront, Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips scored magnificent hundreds to help the Black Caps to 337/8 after they were put in.
The Indore pitch was a bit two-paced, and the New Zealand bowlers made good use of it in the initial overs to reduce India to 71/4 in the 13th over.
The writing seemed to be on the wall for India, but they could still breathe because of Kohli. Beginning in his typically fluent manner, Kohli maintained his poise despite the situation getting tougher and tougher, especially after the dismissals of Reddy and Ravindra Jadeja.
Harshit’s counterattack gave Kohli just the kind of renewed vigour he needed to unleash himself in the death overs. But a fantastic catch running forward, from Henry Nicholls, send Harshit back. The momentum was again back with the visitors, and a little later, with too much to do all alone, Kohli mistimed one and perished at the deep. That was the game and series for the Black Caps.
Earlier, the New Zealand innings was a tale of a mini-collapse and a partnership of dominance. India, winning the toss, let Arshdeep Singh (replacing Prasidh Krishna) and Harshit Rana begin proceedings with the new ball, and they got rid of openers Nicholls and Devon Conway in the first two overs, with New Zealand reeling at 5/2.
Will Young, too, didn’t last long, but that’s when Mitchell stepped up yet again. Calculative in aggression, his strike rotation against both pacers and spinners again stood out. The supreme confidence with which Mitchell went about rubbed off on Phillips too.
India’s nightmare at home against the Kiwis continues.