Virat Kohli’s century went in vain as New Zealand defeated India by 41 runs in the third ODI to win the three-match series 2-1. Virat Kohli’s 54th ODI century went in vain as India went down in the third and final ODI against New Zealand by 41 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday. Chasing 338, India kept losing wickets at regular intervals, and it was only the chase master Kohli who kept India in with a chance to win the game. The 37-year-old did find support in Nitish Kumar Reddy and Harshit Rana as the duo hit half-centuries, but whenever India got on top, the side lost a wicket against the run of play. At one stage, it seemed that Rana and Kohli would seal the game for the Shubman Gill-led side, but it wasn’t meant to be, as Rana perished in trying to go for a big shot, and Kohli eventually perished to give New Zealand the ultimate victory.
With this 41-run win, New Zealand registered their first-ever bilateral ODI series win in India. Not to forget, the Kiwis also whitewashed India in the three-match Test series in 2024, marking India’s first-ever Test series whitewash at home. Both of these series results have come under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as coach. Speaking about Kohli, the seasoned batter fought a lone battle against the visitors in the chase of 338 as he showed the world once again why he is known as the ‘chase master’. Set a target of 338, India got off to a poor start as Rohit Sharma (11) lost his wicket cheaply, bringing Kohli to the middle. Kyle Jamieson bowled a probing over to Kohli, and the batter was experienced enough to bide his time and play the testing time out. However, India captain Gill (23) soon got out, and Shreyas Iyer (3) and KL Rahul (1) followed suit, leaving the hosts in a spot of bother.
The right-handed batter then guided Nitish Kumar Reddy through as the duo formed an 88-run stand for the fifth wicket. However, as soon as India started to string together boundaries, Reddy (53) lost his wicket against the run of play, walking back to the pavilion after scoring his maiden half-century. Ravindra Jadeja (12) once again failed to leave an impression, and it all looked doom and gloom.
However, Kohli was able to cheer the crowd somewhat as he brought up his 54th ODI ton and 85th international century overall in the 40th over. He reached the milestone off the bowling of Zakary Foulkes. The three-figure mark was reached in 91 balls. However, there were no flashy celebrations, as Kohli knew the severity of the task and simply raised his bat to acknowledge the loud cheers of the Indore crowd.
As soon as the 85th international century was done and dusted for Kohli, the entire Indian camp gave the experienced campaigner a standing ovation, and even head coach Gautam Gambhir couldn’t help but applaud the latest achievement of King Kohli. This was Kohli’s third century in the last six ODIs for India. During the course of this knock, Kohli also went past former Australia captain Ricky Ponting to have the most runs while batting at the No.3 position.
After the loss of Jadeja, all seemed doom and gloom for India, but Rana had other plans as he, along with Kohli, stitched together a partnership of 99 runs for the seventh wicket. Both batters unleashed big shots as the crowd in Indore was on its feet. However, Rana (52), in a rush of blood, ended up giving his wicket away, and Mohammed Siraj perished on the very next ball for a duck. It all boiled down to Kohli, but the task proved too much even for the King, and once he was dismissed for 124, it was just a matter of time before New Zealand sealed a famous win.
Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips make full merry
Earlier, New Zealand posted 337/8 in the allotted fifty overs as Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips hit centuries for the visitors. Mitchell, who aggregated 352 runs in the three-match series, hammered 137 in the decider while Phillips scored 106. India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to bowl first. Arshdeep Singh and Harshit made a good start with the ball as the duo removed New Zealand openers Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway. Will Young and Mitchell then put together a brief 53-run stand for the third wicket, but it was Phillips and Mitchell who put the hosts on the back foot with their 219-run partnership.
The Indian bowlers clawed their way back in the death overs but the New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell managed to get 10 runs off the final two balls, allowing the visitors to post more than 335 runs on the board.
