Finance
India won the three-match ODI series opener against New Zealand by four wickets, thanks to half-centuries from Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill, followed by KL Rahul’s 29 not out, as the Men in Blue seized a 1-0 lead at the Kotambi International Stadium (BCA).
Rohit Sharma and skipper Gill got down to work right away, with the former striking six in the first over. During his time on the field, Rohit also set a world record by being the first player to hit 650 sixes in international cricket.
Soon after making history, the former captain was removed by Kyle Jamieson, who scored 26 off 29. Kohli then breathed fire, got off to a solid start, and kept scoring boundaries. While the on-field battle unfolded, the spotlight firmly remained on Kohli during India’s chase.
The former India captain entered the match needing only 25 runs to surpass 28,000 international runs and reached the milestone with a boundary off Adithya Ashok in the 13th over. Kohli became the fastest cricketer to reach the milestone, doing it in only 624 innings, 20 fewer than Sachin Tendulkar, who had held the global record before Kohli surpassed it.
Kohli’s performance also saw him surpass Kumar Sangakkara to become the second-highest run-scorer in international cricket history, passing the Sri Lankan legend’s total of 28,016 runs. Tendulkar remains the leading international run scorer, with 34,357.
Kohli and Gill combined for a dominating 118-run partnership as the Indian squad easily reached 100 runs. The former extended his dominance in the format, reaching fifty in 44 deliveries. Gill, who was coming to the crease after an injury hiatus and making his international comeback for the first time since his T20 World Cup snub, smashed his 16th ODI fifty in 66 deliveries.
Soon, in the 27th over, Gill handed one to Glenn Phillips at extra cover and strolled off with 56 off 71. Shreyas Iyer then showed great intent, smashing leg-spinner Adithya Ashok for two fours and a six to put India back in the game. Kohli and Iyer shared a 77-run stand for the third wicket, but their partnership ended at a crucial stage, with Jamieson initiating a short collapse.
The tall pacer first picked Kohli at 93 in the first delivery of the 40th over, and then sent Ravindra Jadeja packing cheaply on the over’s last delivery. Returning for the 42nd over, Jamieson dismissed Iyer for 49 off the first ball as the Men in Blue suffered a major setback. With Washington Sundar suffering an injury earlier in the day, Harshit Rana walked out to bat at No. 7. While he managed to hit a couple of fours and a maximum, his stay was cut short at 29 (23) by debutant Kristian Clarke, who picked up his maiden ODI wicket.
As the target and remaining deliveries came down at an equal rate, Rahul smashed consecutive boundaries in the 49th over, narrowing the target to one run with seven balls left. The wicketkeeper-batter smashed a six off the next delivery to finish off the chase as he made sure that India won the game with an over to spare.
Daryl Mitchell earlier played a critical anchoring role, scoring 84 as New Zealand compiled a competitive total of 300/8. After being called in to bat, the visiting team’s openers, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls, began cautiously on a slow pitch before gradually raising their scoring pace. The duo completed their half-centuries off consecutive deliveries in the 20th over, putting together a 117-run opening stand, New Zealand’s first century partnership away from home since 2019, and guiding the visitors to 104 without loss after 20 overs.
India recovered thanks to Harshit Rana’s fast bowling and KL Rahul’s outstanding wicketkeeping, which terminated Nicholls’ 62-run innings. Rana struck again soon after, dismissing Conway for 56 and changing the tide to India’s favour. Mohammed Siraj dismissed Will Young, while Kuldeep Yadav dismissed Glenn Phillips, leaving New Zealand at 153/4 after 30 overs.
Mitchell Hay launched a quick comeback with an 18-run cameo, but Daryl Mitchell kept the innings together. Mitchell batted patiently and with control, reaching a half-century and continuing to hold the innings while wickets dropped around him. India tightened the screws in the last overs, with Michael Bracewell out for 16 and Zakary Foulkes removed for one.
Prasidh Krishna finally broke Mitchell’s resistance in the 48th over, dismissing him for a well-crafted 84. Late runs from Kyle Jamieson and debutant Kristian Clarke helped New Zealand cross the 300-run barrier, with Krishna allowing 12 runs in the final over. The visitors eventually finished with 300/8.
The two teams will now head to Rajkot for the second One-Day International, which will be played on Wednesday at the Niranjan Shah Stadium.
Brief Scores:
New Zealand 300/8 in 50 overs (Daryl Mitchell 84, Henry Nicholls 62; Mohammed Siraj 2-40, Harshit Rana 2-65) lost to India (Virat Kohli 93, Shubman Gill 56; Kyle Jamieson 4-41, Kristian Clarke 1-73) by four wickets.
Source: IANS
