Confident India and resilient New Zealand head into series decider with milestones in mind

Rajkot witnessed the class of KL Rahul, but improved bowling and the might of Daryl Mitchell gave New Zealand the last laugh as the visitors outclassed India to clinch a seven-wicket win and level the series 1-1. All eyes now turn to Indore, as India and New Zealand battle it out in the series decider.

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be in international action for one final time until the next ODI assignment in July. The opening batter is 17 runs away from becoming the 7th opener with 16000 international runs.

Meanwhile, Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s ODI rankings and has scored at least one 50+ in 24 different Indian venues in the format. But Indore remains one of four venues where he’s yet to hit a fifty.

Rahul came to India’s rescue with another outstanding performance, scoring an exhilarating 112 not out off 92 balls to help his team reach a respectable total as the rest struggled. His performance against the Kiwis continues to improve, with 469 runs in 10 innings at an average of 93.8, including a half-century and two centuries. He will aim to make another significant contribution when the teams face off on Sunday.

Run-machine Daryl Mitchell keeps challenging the Men in Blue. He has scored three centuries in his last four ODI innings against India in India, reaching over 130 runs each time. The 34-year-old aims to fire up his performance again to help secure a notable series victory.

India have an undefeated record at Indore, winning all seven ODIs played there. In their most recent matches in 2023, they scored 399/5 versus Australia and 385/9 against New Zealand.

Moreover, skipper Shubman Gill is 70 runs away from reaching 3000 ODI runs. He’s scored centuries in both matches he has played at Indore’s Holkar Stadium and will be looking to maintain that form.

India’s premier spinner, Kuldeep Yadav, had a poor outing in the previous game, conceding 82 runs in his 10-over spell while taking only one wicket, and will look to bounce back in the deciding game.

As for New Zealand, Devon Conway crafted a classy 138 off 100 against India when the two sides last met at this venue in January 2023, and he’ll be among the Kiwi players to watch out for.

There’s plenty at stake in the upcoming series finale. Gill has one more chance to win his first home ODI series as India’s captain. As for New Zealand, they are one win away from a first-ever ODI bilateral series win in India.

Meanwhile, India pacer Mohammed Siraj played down concerns over Ravindra Jadeja’s recent lean in ODIs, insisting that the veteran all-rounder remains a key figure in their preparation for the series decider against New Zealand, set to happen at the Holkar Stadium on Sunday.

Jadeja’s recent returns with the ball have raised eyebrows, as he has managed just one wicket in his last five ODIs. In the current series against New Zealand, tied currently at 1-1, the spotlight will be on him after going wicketless in Rajkot, where he conceded 44 runs in eight overs.

“I don’t think there is any concern about Jadeja’s form. It is a matter of just one wicket. Once he gets that breakthrough, you will see a different bowler altogether,” Siraj said in the pre-match press conference on Saturday.

He also equalled the decider in Indore to playing a World Cup final. “The atmosphere is very good because we are getting a lot of input from the seniors. We won the first match and then played the second, so it feels like a high-pressure situation, almost like a World Cup final. Such situations are very rare in India, so it is a great opportunity for us.” New Zealand batting all-rounder Daryl Mitchell has emerged as India’s perennial tormentor, as seen from him making 84 in Vadodara before hitting an unbeaten 131 in Rajkot that earned him the Player of the Match award. Taking out Mitchell early will be the key again for India in Sunday’s decider.

“We tried our best to get him out (in Rajkot). We had a game plan for him. As you can see, even a world-class batter can make mistakes. If we had grabbed that opportunity (that dropped chance of him), the scenario would have been different.

“The way he bats against spin, especially in the middle overs - taking singles and doubles - shows that he is thinking clearly and batting with a plan. In Rajkot, there wasn’t much dew and the ball was coming nicely onto the bat. Our plan was to get him out as early as possible, and we will try to do the same in this match,” said Siraj.

The pacer, who was a member of the Indian team winning 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup, signed off by wishing the Suryakumar Yadav-led squad good luck for their title defence starting from next month. Siraj missed out on being part of the squad for the upcoming mega event due to him being needed more in playing Tests than white-ball games.

“I was rested in that ODI series against South Africa because I had bowled about 40 overs in the Test match before that which went the full five days. I played in the Australia series (before that).

Agencies