India’s innings was under pressure from the start. Losing four crucial wickets for just 71 runs virtually knocked them out of the match. At that time experienced batsman Virat Kohli took charge. He batted with patience and control even under extreme pressure. He played a brilliant innings of 124 runs from 108 balls and almost single-handedly continued India’s fight.

Kohli’s innings was composed and firm. He didn’t lose his rhythm despite one wicket after another at the other end. He increased the pace of runs as per the need, and played defensive cricket by understanding the situation. It was the 54th century of his ODI career, garnering praise from the crowd as well as his teammates. Young captain Shubman Gill praised Kohli’s batting after the match.

“Having Kohli in the team is a big positive for the team. The way BFratt is batting is always a plus point for the team. The way Harshit has batted in this series, it is not easy to bat at number eight. The way he has taken responsibility and the way the fast bowlers have bowled in this series was also good,” said Gill at the award ceremony after the match. However, cricket experts feel that the way the Indian ODI team is still dependent on Kohli can increase the team’s problems.

Nitish Kumar Reddy (53) and Harshit Rana (52) tried to put up some fight in the match, but the increasing run-rate proved to be a major obstacle for India. Despite a batting friendly pitch and small boundaries, India failed to reach the target. Gill said after the match that he was disappointed with some of the team’s weaknesses and would work on them in the future.

Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips formed a great partnership to bring the team a big collection. Mitchell scored 137 runs, and Phillips played a brilliant innings of 106 runs. Their 219-run stand made the difference in the match. In the end, New Zealand played coolly to clinch a memorable series win in India.