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- India vs New Zealand Highlights, 3rd ODI: Virat Kohli's ton in vain as NZ beat India by 41 runs to clinch series 2-1
India vs New Zealand Highlights, 3rd ODI: Virat Kohli's ton in vain as NZ beat India by 41 runs to clinch series 2-1
Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips guided New Zealand to 337-8 with a fourth-wicket stand of 219 after the tourists slipped to 5-2 and 58-3 in Indore.
Mitchell made 137 and Phillips hit 106 off 88 balls.
The Black Caps then bowled out India for 296 in 46 overs despite Kohli's 54th ODI century and clinched the three-match series 2-1.
The in-form Kohli, who plays just the 50-over format after retiring from Test and T20 international cricket, threatened to pull off the chase in a 99-run seventh-wicket partnership with Harshit Rana, who made 52.
New Zealand left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox returned figures of 2-42 from his 10 overs after captain Michael Bracewell left the field with a calf injury and did not return.
Mitchell led the team in Bracewell's absence, which also left New Zealand a bowler short.
Zak Foulkes and fellow seamer Kristian Clarke took three wickets each.
India slumped to 71-4 before Kohli hit back in an 88-run stand with Nitish Kumar Reddy, who made 53, and then with Rana.
Kohli struck 10 fours and three sixes in his 108-ball knock before he was caught off Clarke and walked back to a rousing ovation after his 85th international century.
Earlier the in-form Mitchell picked up from where he left off after his match-winning 131 not out in the second ODI, which levelled the series at 1-1.
Mitchell reached his ninth ODI ton with a single off Ravindra Jadeja before Phillips also brought up his hundred.
Arshdeep finally dismissed Phillips caught behind to end the marathon stand and Mitchell soon followed, falling to Mohammed Siraj.
New Zealand wobbled, losing four more wickets but Bracewell hammered an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls.
The teams next play five T20 matches in a final tune-up for the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and March 8.
New Zealand score: 266/3 in 42 overs
New Zealand score: 257/3 in 41 overs
Jadeja overpitches and Phillips makes room, opens up his stance, and sends it soaring high over long-on. It clears the rope with ease.
Mitchell then sends the fifth ball for a boundary straight down the ground—an expensive over from India's point of view.
New Zealand score: 238/3 in 40 overs
He delivers an economical over, giving away just four singles, even as Dary Mitchell looks to take him on.
New Zealand score: 225/3 in 39 overs
New Zealand score: 216/3 in 37 overs
New Zealand score: 200/3 in 35.4 overs.
New Zealand score: 183/3 in 33 overs.
New Zealand score: 177/3 in 32 overs.
New Zealand score: 169/3 in 30 overs
New Zealand score: 159/3 in 30 overs
New Zealand score: 152/3 in 29 overs
New Zealand score: 141/3 in 28 overs
New Zealand score: 131/3 in 27 overs
New Zealand score: 125/3 in 26 overs.
New Zealand score: 119/3 in 25 overs
New Zealand score: 117/3 in 24 overs
New Zealand score: 108/3 in 23 overs
New Zealand score: 101/3 in 21 overs
New Zealand score: 95/3 in 20 overs.
Five singles come off Nitish's second over.
New Zealand score: 89/3 in 18 overs.
New Zealand score: 84/3 in 17 overs.
New Zealand score: 75/3 in 16 overs.
New Zealand score: 58/3 in 12.1 overs.
Daryl Mitchell and Will Young steady New Zealand with a crucial 50-run partnership after early wickets.
New Zealand score: 58/2 in 12 overs.
New Zealand score: 53/2 in 11 overs.
New Zealand score: 47/2 in 10 overs.
New Zealand score: 42/2 in 9 overs.
Mohammed Siraj comes into the attack in the eighth over, operating from over the wicket. India will look to him to sustain the pressure created by Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana.
New Zealand score: 33/2 in 8 overs
New Zealand score: 27/2 in 6 overs.
Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana have put India firmly on top in the series decider at Indore. With both New Zealand openers dismissed inside the powerplay, India have seized control and pushed the visitors onto the back foot.
New Zealand score: 16/2 in 4 overs.
New Zealand score: 5/2 in 1.1 overs
New Zealand score: 5/1 in 1 over.
New Zealand score: 4/0 in 0.2 overs
Indian captain Shubman Gill won the toss and opted to field against New Zealand in the third and final ODI in Indore.
India were convincing in the first match, the visitors came back strongly in Rajkot, Daryl Mitchell's splendid hundred easing them to victory.
"That's what we spoke about. Great challenge for us, NZ put us under pressure, but this is what the players expect. Not a lot of dew expected, but we want to bowl first and see a score that we can chase. [What went wrong in Rajkot?] We need to vary our lengths a bit in the middle overs, and that is one area we want to improve. We have one change, Arshdeep comes back for Prasidh," Shubman Gill said after winning the toss.
"We would have bowled first, but it looks like a good batting pitch. It's a decider and an exciting opportunity for us to win our 1st ODI series here in India. They're getting used to international cricket and have made a good fist of it so far (on the new faces), but the pressure is on now, and it's a good chance for them to play their best game. No changes from the last match," New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell said.
India playing XI: Shubman Gill(c), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul(w), Ravindra Jadeja, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj.
In Indore, where scores can cross 350, slow phases can change a match quickly. India will need to play spin better in the middle overs, keep the scoreboard moving without taking undue risks, and avoid getting stuck.
Another slip at home would add to the scrutiny. The challenge is sharper at Holkar Stadium, where short boundaries and flat pitches leave little room for error. India’s task is not just to win the decider, but to reassert control in conditions that magnify tactical lapses.
India enter the game with their home record in focus, having not lost a bilateral ODI series at home since 2019. New Zealand are aiming for a first-ever ODI series win in India, something they have not achieved since their first tour in 1989.
New Zealand batter Glenn Phillips said the chance to script another chapter of history in India was “pretty cool” but stressed that his side would rely on process and adaptability rather than emotion as they eye a rare white-ball series success against a formidable host.
New Zealand achieved a historic Test series triumph in India in October 2024, when they became the first touring side to win in India after 69 years, sealing a 3-0 clean sweep following their first Test win on Indian soil since 1988.
Phillips said that achievement served as quiet inspiration but warned against drawing direct parallels between red-ball success and the challenge ahead in the limited-over format.
"Opportunities to make history are very few and far between and they’re pretty cool. But focusing on that doesn’t really help with anything. As professionals, we try to treat every moment like any other day," Phillips said on the eve of the series-deciding game here on Sunday.
Phillips underlined the scale of the challenge in white-ball cricket, despite recent Test series triumphs.
"India is a very tough place to play and they are an incredible side. A white-ball series here is completely different and very few teams have managed to do that,” he said.
Reiterating New Zealand’s approach, Phillips said staying at present remained the key.
"For us it’s about taking every game one step at a time, trying to be where our feet are and putting out our best performance every time we show up," he said.
Turning to conditions at the Holkar Stadium, Phillips felt dew could play a decisive role later in the evening, especially with the current playing regulations.
"With the humidity around, it could get pretty wet as the air cools down. Keeping only one ball after 34 overs changes the dynamic — it can get softer and heavier,” he noted.
Phillips said Indore’s reputation as a high-scoring venue and its relatively smaller boundaries meant adaptability would again be crucial.
"The pitch looks fantastic and traditionally it’s been a bit of a run-fest here, but every surface behaves differently. Anyone who says they know exactly what the pitch will do a day before is probably talking rubbish."
With conditions likely to evolve quickly, Phillips said New Zealand's focus would remain on execution rather than occasion.
"If we do what we do best and adapt to whatever’s in front of us, hopefully that gives us the best chance of a good result,” he added.
Widely regarded as one of the most athletic fielders in international cricket, Phillips said his catching ability was largely down to mindset and willingness to commit fully for the team.
"It mostly comes down to attitude and being willing to throw myself around for the team. I've probably been given a bit of a gift genetically to be able to dive and be athletic, and it's my responsibility to use that," he said, while admitting luck also played its part.
Asked to pick his best catches, Phillips said it was a close call between dismissing Marcus Stoinis in the World Cup in Australia and diving efforts to remove Ollie Pope or Marius Louw in New Zealand.
On comparisons with India all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja, Phillips played down the debate.
"It’s pretty hard to judge fielders. It all depends on the opportunities you’re given," he said, adding that he was content to let others make comparisons.
Ten Doeschate had suggested that Rohit’s modest returns—scores of 26 and 24 in the first two matches—might be due to a lack of game time. However, Rohit returned to international cricket in October with a bang, scoring a fifty and a century in the ODI series in Australia to claim the Player of the Series award, before carrying that momentum into India’s home series against South Africa. He also played in Mumbai’s first two Vijay Hazare Trophy games last month, including a commanding century in the opener.
Speaking to PTI, Tiwary, who was a former IPL teammate of ten Doeschate at KKR, hit back: “With a lot of respect, I would like to tell Ryan ten Doeschate that he was with me for four years at KKR. No doubt he is a very good person, but the kind of comment he has made, I think he should have thought about it. He has also played international cricket for the Netherlands, but if you look at his international record, I say this with all due respect—it is not even 5% of what Rohit has achieved in his career, not just as a batter but also as a captain.”
Tiwary described the comment as demoralising, especially given it came from a member of the support staff, and called on ten Doeschate to reflect on his words.
“He has given the nation so much happiness by winning the Champions Trophy also and after that, talking like this, that too when he is in the team, not like he is sitting at home and commenting, he is a part of the management, and telling like this about your player is demoralising. I don’t know why he said that. He has to reflect on this. I feel he must not make such comments,” Tiwary added.
India will face New Zealand in the final ODI of the three-match series on January 18 in Indore. Rohit, who has retired from Tests and T20Is, will then take a break from international cricket ahead of India’s England tour in the summer.
Ayush Badoni feels that taking up bowling a couple of years ago proved to be a turning point in his career, helping him evolve into an all-rounder and earn his maiden India call-up. The 26-year-old was added to India’s ODI squad for the ongoing three-match series against New Zealand after Washington Sundar was ruled out with an injury following the opening ODI.
The series is currently locked at 1-1, with the decider scheduled to be played at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday. While Badoni did not feature in the playing XI for the second ODI, which India lost, he will be hopeful of getting an opportunity, especially given his recent form, to make an impact at the international level.
“I was with the Delhi team, I was captain there and our next day match was the quarter-finals against Vidarbha. That’s when I got to know about it. Priyansh was my roommate, so I told him that this could happen and I’ll be going, so maybe you’ll be the captain. That was a great feeling and I feel very grateful and happy that I got this opportunity,” Badoni said while speaking about his selection in a video shared by bcci.tv.
Sharing how his family and close friends found out about the call-up, Badoni said, “I got a call late at night, so I couldn’t tell them. It was announced in the morning, that’s when they got to know and they were also very happy and proud. All the coaches and the players were very welcoming to me and I really liked it. I’ve played with and against most of them so it was nice to meet everyone again.”
Badoni also spoke about how expanding his skill set over the past two years played a key role in his selection.
“Preparation was very clear. Earlier, I used to bat, but since the last two years, I’ve been focusing a lot on my bowling. I always feel that I can take wickets and contribute to the team with my bowling. So I got the benefit of being an all-rounder. I’ve bowled a lot for Delhi, taken wickets, and benefited from it.”
Reflecting on sharing the dressing room with senior players, Badoni said he has previously played with or against many of them in domestic and franchise cricket and tries to absorb as much as possible from their experience.
“A lot of the seniors in our team are legends in a way so I try to learn from them when I bat or bowl. I feel that it enhances my game and I just try to learn as much as I can. There are a lot of players with whom I have fun and have a good time. I’ve known Harshit because he plays for Delhi. I’ve a lot of fun with Arshdeep and Shreyas too. It’s a lot of fun to be with them,” Badoni concluded.
On Saturday at the Holkar Stadium, a day ahead of the third and final ODI against the Kiwis, Siraj, when asked about being named the new Hyderabad captain, flashed that infectious smile of his and said, “It is a great honour. As a player, it is a dream to represent your state and then lead it.”
Asked if he had captained before, Siraj replied, “Yes, I captained in the Hyderabad League earlier, and now I am doing it again. It is a good opportunity, and I will enjoy it.”
Having dished out a few bouncers as a pacer, Siraj showed the awareness to duck them too. “Would it be better if you handle the ball with Arshdeep, considering the ground is small and the pitch is flat,” a reporter asked him.
Siraj chose the moment to praise his junior pace-bowling colleague Harshit Rana. “Look, Harshit has bowled very well. You can see that he is taking wickets with the new ball. The captain and coach decide who will bowl and when. As a bowler, my thinking is that if the opposition is under pressure and wickets are falling, I want to build pressure from my end as well. I don’t want to leak runs — I want to bowl in one area and create pressure so the next wicket comes,” the senior India pacer said.
Siraj also pointed out that perhaps the idea of the Indian team management was to give “confidence and exposure” to more players while trying to build a squad for the 2027 World Cup in South Africa. “Arshdeep also did very well against South Africa. If someone else is getting an opportunity now, that is also good. Looking ahead to the World Cup, it gives confidence and exposure to more players, which is important for the future,” he said.
While Kohli and KL Rahul’s sensational form is highly encouraging, the hosts would be worried by the poor returns of left-arm wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who appeared to be too slow in the air as he ended up conceding 1-82 in 10 overs.
Going by India’s intense threehour training session on Saturday, ace left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh could be back in the XI, probably at the expense of Prasidh Krishna. It will be interesting to see if India hand a debut to batting allrounder Ayush Badoni, a useful off-spinner, for the injured Washington Sundar, and leave out Nitish Kumar Reddy from the final XI.
Reddy ended up bowling only two overs in the second ODI and was criticised for not making use of his chances by India’s assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate.
India last lost a bilateral ODI series at home in March 2023, when Australia reversed a 0-1 deficit to win 2-1.
After winning their first Test series in India 3-0 in Nov 2024, New Zealand, who have travelled to these shores for bilateral ODIs since 1988, will be itching to do the same in ODIs.
Considering that it’s an inexperienced Black Caps squad — eight players are touring India for the first time and they fielded two debutants in the first two matches — it’ll be a massive achievement.
When: Sunday, Jan 18, 1:30 PM IST. Toss will take place at 1:00 PM
Where: Holkar Stadium, Indore
Where to watch: Star Sports Network for live TV broadcast and JioHotstar for live streaming
Squads
India:
Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill (c), Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul (wk), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Siraj, Prasidh Krishna, Rishabh Pant, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Ravindra Jadeja, Ayush Badoni
New Zealand:
Devon Conway (wk), Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell (c), Zakary Foulkes, Nick Kelly, Josh Clarkson, Michael Rae, Kyle Jamieson, Mitchell Hay, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Jayden Lennox
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be in international action for one final time until India’s next ODI assignment in July. Sharma is just 17 runs shy of becoming the seventh opener to reach 16,000 international runs. Meanwhile, Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s ODI rankings and has registered at least one 50+ score at 24 different Indian venues. Indore, however, remains one of the four grounds where he has yet to score a fifty.
Rahul once again bailed India out with a stellar knock of 112 not out off 92 balls, helping the team post a respectable total while others struggled. His form against New Zealand continues to impress, with 469 runs in 10 innings at an average of 93.8, including a half-century and two centuries. He will be key in India’s bid for victory on Sunday.
Run-machine Daryl Mitchell has consistently troubled the Men in Blue, scoring three centuries in his last four ODI innings against India in India, crossing the 130-run mark each time. The 34-year-old will look to deliver another dominant performance to help New Zealand secure a historic series win.
India have an unblemished record at Indore, winning all seven ODIs played at Holkar Stadium. Their most recent outings in 2023 saw them score 399/5 against Australia and 385/9 versus New Zealand. Skipper Shubman Gill is 70 runs away from 3,000 ODI runs and has scored centuries in both previous matches at the venue, aiming to continue that fine form.
India’s premier spinner Kuldeep Yadav struggled in the last match, conceding 82 runs in 10 overs while taking just one wicket, and will be keen to bounce back in the decider. On the Kiwi side, Devon Conway’s classy 138 off 100 against India at Indore in January 2023 marks him as another key player to watch.
Plenty is at stake in the series finale. Gill has one more chance to lead India to a home ODI series win, while New Zealand are just a victory away from their first-ever bilateral ODI series triumph in India.
Much of the attention will be on Rohit Sharma, who has endured a lean run in the series. His ultra-aggressive approach at the top has defined India’s ODI blueprint in recent times, but repeated early exits have brought added pressure.
Virat Kohli, meanwhile, continues to be the axis around which India’s ODI batting revolves. With India’s next 50-over assignment for senior players likely to come in July during the tour of England, fans will be hoping for another decisive RoKo partnership.
The choice between Nitish Kumar Reddy and Ayush Badoni presents a classic trade-off between depth and control. Reddy provides seam-bowling cover, albeit used sparingly, along with late-innings power. Badoni, on the other hand, offers composure and a sounder technique against spin in the middle overs.
The case for including left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh also strengthens at Indore, where variations often trump raw pace. His ability to swing the new ball, target the stumps and execute yorkers at the death adds a different tactical layer, especially against New Zealand’s largely right-handed batting order.
His presence could also ease the load on India’s spinners by allowing greater reliance on pace-off deliveries, wide yorkers and hard lengths — strategies better suited to the Holkar Stadium surface. The challenge, however, lies in finding space in the XI. Mohammed Siraj’s role with the new ball makes him hard to omit, leaving a spinner or seam-bowling all-rounder as the likely casualty depending on conditions and batting depth.
One area of clarity is KL Rahul’s role. His consistent returns at No. 5 reinforce the value of keeping him there, rather than pushing him down to six, where his ability to manage tempo and rebuild under pressure is reduced.
New Zealand, meanwhile, arrive with clarity and confidence. Mitchell’s dominance, backed by Devon Conway, reflects the Black Caps’ sharp understanding of match-ups and disciplined execution. Their bowlers, despite lacking big names, have relied on variations and hard lengths to good effect on surfaces offering little assistance.
At a venue where bowlers are often reduced to damage control, the contest is likely to be decided as much by decision-making as by skill. For Shubman Gill and his side, the challenge extends beyond winning the series — it is about showing tactical flexibility and situational awareness when pressure is real and margins are thin.
After conceding 337 for eight to New Zealand, India slumped to 71 for four and could never really recover despite Kohli’s record-extending 54th ODI ton, Nitish Kumar Reddy’s 53 and Harshit Rana’s strokeful 52.
India were bowled out for 296 in 46 overs.
Zak Foulkes (3/77) and Kristian Clarke (3/54) took six wickets between them while rookie spinner Jayden Lennox returned 2/42 from his 10 overs.
Earlier, Daryl Mitchell (137) and Glenn Phillips (106) hit tons to power New Zealand to a challenging 337 for eight in 50 overs.
