Virat Kohli reigned supreme once again with a 91-ball 93 and skipper Shubman Gill hit 56, but India huffed and puffed before completing a nervy four-wicket win against New Zealand in the opening ODI of the three-match series here on Sunday.
In pursuit of 301, India were in complete control when Kohli departed in the 40th over, but a flurry of wickets saw the home side go over the line with 306-6 in 49 overs.
Kohli fell a few runs short of what could have been his 54th ODI century when India needed 67 from 66 balls with seven wickets in hand. Ravindra Jadeja (4) and Shreyas Iyer (49) followed him soon in the dressing room, giving New Zealand a real chance to clinch the game.
KL Rahul during his unbeaten 29
However, KL Rahul (29 not out) put on 37 runs with Harshit Rana (29), and the remaining runs came in the company of an injury-hit Washington Sundar (7 not out), aided by a few uncharacteristic dropped catches by the Kiwis towards the end.
It was Kyle Jamieson (4-41) who dragged New Zealand back in the game when all seemed lost.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell stood tall with a stroke-filled half-century to help New Zealand post 300 for eight.
Mitchell clobbered five fours and three sixes to make 84 off 71 balls after New Zealand’s middle-order failed to build on an ideal start given by Devon Conway (56 off 67 balls; 6 fours, 1 six) and Henry Nicholls (62 off 69 balls; 8 fours). Openers Conway and Nicholls had put on 117 runs to defy India for the first 21 overs, but Rana’s (2-65) second spell of 2-0-13-2 turned the tables and the home side chipped away with regular strikes.
Kyle Jamieson celebrates an Indian wicket on Sunday
4-41
NZ pacer Kyle Jamieson’s figures on Sunday — his best in ODIs
28,068
No. of international runs for Virat Kohli. He surpassed Kumar Sangakkara (28,016) to become the second-highest, now trailing only Sachin Tendulkar (34,357). He is also the fastest to score 28,000 runs (624 innings)
117
No. of runs put on by Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls for the opening wicket — NZ’s first 100-plus opening stand in ODIs away from home since the unbeaten
137-run partnership by Martin Guptill and Colin Munro against Sri Lanka in the 2019 World Cup
Four
No. of 60-plus scores by Daryl Mitchell in his last five ODIs vs India. Overall, he averages 52.55 in 11 one-dayers against India
650
No. of sixes hit by Rohit Sharma in international cricket — the only player to reach this feat
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