A year after a 3-0 whitewash at home, Indian cricket have suffered once again at the hands of New Zealand. The Kiwis have sealed a 2-1 series win with a convincing 41-run win in the series decider in Indore. Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell scored centuries while Virat Kohli's effort was not enough to take India over the line.
It marks New Zealand's first ever series win over India in India in the 50-over format. Shubman Gill remains yet to win a series as captain, having taken over the ODI reigns in October last year.
Virat Kohli’s 124 off 108 balls was a study in controlled aggression and steely temperament. The chase master shouldered the responsibility almost single-handedly, counter-punching a disciplined New Zealand attack with crisp drives, well-judged pulls and calculated risks over the ropes.
As wickets tumbled regularly at the other end, Kohli dug in, refusing to let the chase drift away, but once he fell late in the innings, India’s resistance finally collapsed at 296 in 46 overs while chasing a stiff 338. Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana chipped in with their respective maiden half-centuries but the effort was still well short.
The defeat not only handed New Zealand a 2-1 series win but also marked a historic first -- India had never before lost a home ODI series to the Kiwis.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell's second consecutive hundred and Glenn Phillips' blistering century powered New Zealand to a competitive 337 for eight despite early jolts from India’s pace attack.
