New Zealand make history
In seven previous bilateral ODI tours of India, New Zealand had won just seven matches. This time, they lost the first game in Vadodara, but stormed back in Rajkot and Indore to end a 37-year-long jinx. The catalyst for that was Daryl Mitchell, whose tally of 352 runs in a three-match series has only ever been better by Shubman Gill and Babar Azam with 360. Mitchell made his runs at a strike-rate of 110 and in the decisive game, he was assisted by Glenn Phillips, who laboured to 21 off 36 balls without a single hit to the fence before opening up with nine fours and three sixes. That they were missing about five first-choice starters only made it even more special.
King Kohli keeps India in play, with help from Nitish and Rana
Though India slipped to 71-4 in the 13th over, the Sunday crowd in Indore didn’t actually give up hope until the fourth ball of the 46th over. He may not wear a cape but for millions of Indian fans, Virat Kohli is Superman. As long as he’s out there, no game is lost. First, he added 88 at a run a ball with Nitish Kumar Reddy and then he and the much-maligned Harshit Rana smashed 99 off just 69 balls to really set the nerves jangling in the New Zealand dressing room. Harshit’s dismissal left Kohli with no option but to go for broke, and a miscue down the ground off Kristian Clarke saw him depart after a magnificent 108-ball 124. The loss hurt, but those that witnessed it knew how special those three hours of watching a master at work had been.
Time up for Jadeja?
The numbers don’t lie. In this entire series, India’s frontline spinners took three wickets – all by Kuldeep Yadav. The trouble was that his economy rate was 7.28. Ravindra Jadeja’s wicket-less 23 overs went at 6.13. For New Zealand, the unheralded Jayden Lennox took three wickets in his 20 overs at a superb economy rate of 4.2. After the 2023 World Cup, Jadeja returned to the ODI side with a bang, taking three wickets apiece in two matches against England last February. Since then, he has taken six wickets in 11 games, including one in six home ODIs this season. Varun Chakaravarthy didn’t play this series with the T20 World Cup looming, but it’s hard to see how Jadeja can be part of the plan going forward.
Death overs killing India
When Mitchell and Phillips fell within six balls of each other, India had a big chance to tighten the screw with the softer older ball. Instead, they gave up 51 from the last 28 balls. Harshit, who took 2-33 from his first six overs, went for 51 in his last four. It can’t have been a lack of fitness because he later came out and tonked the ball, but the lack of nous – especially the lengths to bowl – was worrying to see. India’s bowling line-up was fearsome in the 2023 World Cup. Short of the rested Jasprit Bumrah and the ignored Mohammed Shami, this attack looked worryingly lightweight. Who else should India be looking at? 12 overs 1-89.
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