After being rocked early at 5 for 2, New Zealand appeared in serious trouble when India’s pace duo of Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana struck with the new ball. Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls departed cheaply, leaving the visitors scrambling.
However, what followed was a partnership of rare quality. Daryl Mitchell, continuing his sensational form in the series, anchored the innings with a composed yet authoritative 137 off 131 balls. Glenn Phillips complemented him perfectly, switching gears seamlessly to hammer 106 off just 88 deliveries.
The duo stitched together a mammoth 219-run partnership off 188 balls, completely swinging momentum away from India. Their ability to absorb pressure early and then explode after the 30th over frustrated the Indian bowlers and silenced the crowd.
India’s Bowling Effort
Mohammed Siraj was the standout for India, maintaining excellent control in the death overs and finishing with an impressive economy rate. Arshdeep Singh also chipped in with key breakthroughs, including the wicket of Phillips just as the partnership threatened to spiral further.
Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja applied pressure in the middle overs, but the lack of wickets allowed New Zealand to steadily rebuild and then accelerate late in the innings.
India’s Chase Begins Under Pressure
Chasing a daunting target of 338, India got off to a mixed start. Rohit Sharma looked fluent early but perished trying to clear the infield once again, while captain Shubman Gill was undone by a sharp in-seamer from Kyle Jamieson.
Virat Kohli, greeted with loud cheers, steadied the innings with trademark elegance, including a sublime cover drive that brought the crowd to life. Shreyas Iyer joined him as India aimed to rebuild without losing further wickets.
At the time of writing, India were behind the required rate, aware that one more collapse could tilt the match firmly in New Zealand’s favour.
Series on the Line in Indore
With the series level heading into the decider, both teams entered the match knowing the stakes. For New Zealand, victory would mark a historic first ODI series win on Indian soil. For India, it was about protecting an unbeaten home record against the Black Caps in the format.
The match also unfolded against a sombre backdrop in Indore, a city grappling with a tragic water contamination incident. Cricket, if only briefly, offered the city a moment of collective focus and emotional release.
What Lies Ahead
With dew expected to play a role and a strong Indian middle order yet to come, the contest remains delicately poised. However, New Zealand’s total has ensured that India must bat with both aggression and discipline to pull off the chase.
As the evening progresses, all eyes remain on Kohli and the middle order to see whether India can script another memorable chase or if New Zealand will seal a landmark series triumph.