Daryl Mitchell's ton overshadows KL Rahul’s hundred as NZ stun India to level ODI series 1-1

Daryl Mitchell and KL Rahul in the IND vs NZ 2nd ODI [Source: BLACKCAPS/X]

New Zealand turned up in style and finally made their mark as they bounced back strongly to level the three-match ODI series against India at 1-1. The Michael Bracewell-led side posed a stiff challenge to the Indian batters, particularly Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, at Rajkot, as they bundled the hosts out for a modest total.

In the chase, New Zealand were equally impressive with the bat, with Daryl Mitchell leading the innings with authority. The Indian bowlers failed to make a significant impact, allowing the visitors to dominate with the bat as well.

As a result, it was an electric affair in Rajkot, which saw the hosts hang their heads in disappointment after the defeat. 

Let’s take a look at how the match panned out at the Kotambi Stadium in Rajkot.

Virat Kohli, Rohit fail as India stumble early

India’s innings turned into a high-thriller drama. After being forced to bat first, expectations were high from Virat Kohli, especially after he narrowly missed out on a century in the first ODI.

Rohit Sharma faltered once again, managing just 24 runs off 38 balls as captain Shubman Gill held one end. Rohit’s early failure brought Virat Kohli in at No. 3. But to the disappointment of his fans, he was bamboozled by a peach of a delivery from Kristian Clarke and walked back for just 23 runs.

Following Kohli’s dismissal, Ravindra Jadeja came to the crease. Jadeja played a gritty knock of 27 off 44 deliveries, but the real highlight of India’s innings was KL Rahul.

KL Rahul comes to the rescue with his hundred

KL Rahul’s magnificent 112 off 92 balls steadied India’s sinking ship. The innings was salvaged from 115/3 at the end of 22 overs to a fighting 284/7 at the end of 50 overs.

Rahul stitched together vital partnerships with Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, and even Mohammed Siraj, adding a brisk 28 runs late in the innings to push India past a modest-looking total.

Kristian Clarke led New Zealand’s attack

Kristian Clarke led New Zealand’s bowling attack with a fiery spell, picking up three wickets while conceding 56 runs in his eight overs. Jayden Lennox, Michael Bracewell, Zak Foulkes, and Kyle Jamieson also chipped in with a wicket each to keep India in check and restrict them to a competitive, yet modest, total.

Will Young starts off New Zealand’s chase at a modest pace

For what it is worth, New Zealand began the chase at a very slow pace, reaching 34 for 1 at the end of 10 overs, while India had scored 57 runs at the same stage of their innings. Nevertheless, Will Young and Henry Nicholls were at the crease after Devon Conway was dismissed by a jaffa from Harshit Rana.

Will Young continued to battle it out with the bat, showing great resilience as he scored 98 runs off 118 deliveries, with seven boundaries to his name.

Daryl Mitchell masterclass guides the game home

However, Henry Nicholls could not hold on for long and departed in the 13th over, bringing Daryl Mitchell, the eventual destroyer, to the crease.

Daryl Mitchell and Will Young stitched together a crucial 162-run partnership off 152 deliveries. After Young’s dismissal, Mitchell carried on the charge and saw the game through alongside Glenn Phillips, with the duo adding a brisk 78 runs off 57 deliveries to seal the chase and win the match by 7 wickets.

India bowlers fail to make a mark

The Indian bowlers endured a tough outing in Rajkot, with only Harshit Rana, Prasidh Krishna, and Kuldeep Yadav picking up one wicket each, that too at relatively high economy rates. Ravindra Jadeja and Mohammed Siraj went wicketless and had little impact with the ball.

Nevertheless, New Zealand’s victory levelled the series at 1-1, setting up a high-stakes decider scheduled to be played on January 18 at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.