Mitchell’s Masterclass Sets Up Indore Decider

News Desk

Islamabad: Daryl Mitchell once again proved to be India’s nemesis in white-ball cricket, producing a superb unbeaten 131 to steer New Zealand to a memorable seven-wicket win and force a series decider in Indore.

Chasing a competitive 285, Mitchell anchored a chase of rare control and composure, overshadowing KL Rahul’s earlier heroics and snapping New Zealand’s eight-match losing streak against India in ODIs.

India looked well placed after Rahul’s unbeaten 112 lifted them from a precarious 118 for four to 284 for seven. On a surface that demanded patience, Rahul combined restraint with late aggression to give the hosts a defendable total. Yet, under lights and with dew easing batting conditions, Mitchell turned the contest decisively in New Zealand’s favour.

The chase began shakily for the visitors. Harshit Rana struck early to bowl Devon Conway for 16, and Prasidh Krishna soon removed Henry Nicholls for 10, leaving New Zealand 46 for two.

What followed, however, was a partnership that completely altered the game’s momentum. Mitchell and Will Young added a commanding 162 for the third wicket, blending poise with power to neutralise India’s bowling attack.

Young played the perfect supporting role, compiling a composed 87 from 98 balls, while Mitchell took on the responsibility of controlling the tempo. With the pitch offering little assistance and the dew setting in, the Indian bowlers struggled to apply sustained pressure.

Mitchell broke a brief boundary drought by taking on Kuldeep Yadav, launching him for a six and a four, and soon raised his second successive half-century off just 52 balls.

Read More: https://thepenpk.com/australia-set-for-lahore-t20i-series-as-pcb-unveils-schedule/

Luck favoured the bold. Mitchell survived a run-out scare on 80 and was then dropped at long-off by Prasidh Krishna off Kuldeep. Even when Kuldeep eventually broke the partnership by dismissing Young in the 38th over, the damage had been done.

Mitchell marched on to his eighth ODI century, reaching three figures in just 96 deliveries and reaffirming his remarkable consistency against India.

With Glenn Phillips chipping in with an unbeaten 32 off 25 balls, New Zealand ensured there were no late stumbles. Mitchell fittingly sealed the chase with a trademark ramp shot over the wicketkeeper, finishing unbeaten on 131 from 117 balls as New Zealand reached 286 for three with 15 balls to spare — their highest successful ODI chase against India on Indian soil.

Earlier, India’s innings had been a tale of two phases. New Zealand’s seamers, Kyle Jamieson and Zakary Foulkes, exploited early movement to keep Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill in check, as India crawled to just 10 runs in the first five overs. The openers eventually found rhythm, reaching 57 without loss at the end of the Powerplay, before Rohit fell for 24.

Gill continued to look fluent, bringing up a well-paced 56, but his dismissal triggered a dramatic collapse. The spin duo of Michael Bracewell and debutant Jayden Lennox tightened the screws, resulting in a remarkable 10-over boundary drought. Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli fell cheaply, and at 118 for four, India appeared in danger of wasting their platform. Kristian Clarke led the charge, finishing with impressive figures of 3 for 56.

Rahul, however, held firm. Partnering Ravindra Jadeja in a steady 73-run stand, he focused on rebuilding before gradually shifting gears. After Jadeja’s departure, Rahul found support from Nitish Kumar Reddy, whose brisk 20 helped revive momentum. The final ten overs belonged to Rahul, as he surged to his eighth ODI century off 87 balls and powered India to 85 runs in the closing stretch.

Despite Rahul’s brilliance, India’s middle-overs stagnation proved costly. Mitchell’s calm authority and relentless scoring ensured New Zealand stayed in control, setting the stage for a high-stakes series decider in Indore — with momentum now firmly with the visitors.

Brief scores:

India 284/7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 112*, Shubman Gill 56; Kristian Clarke 3-56)

New Zealand 286/3 in 47.3 overs (Daryl Mitchell 131*, Will Young 87)

New Zealand won by 7 wickets