India vs New Zealand: Mitchell, Phillips lead Black Caps to historic series victory despite Kohli ton

by Devesh Jaganath

image India vs New Zealand: Mitchell, Phillips lead Black Caps to historic series victory despite Kohli ton
New Zealand defied the odds to secure a historic 2-1 ODI series victory against India after winning the third and final match by 41 runs at the Holkar Stadium in Indore on Sunday. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips played starring roles for the Black Caps, who now have the momentum heading into the T20 leg of the series.
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NZ claim first-ever ODI series win in India 

The New Zealand national cricket team made history on Sunday afternoon, when they notched up a stunning 41-run victory in the third ODI of their three-match series against India to record their first-ever ODI series win against the Men in Blue in India. 

After winning the toss and opting to bowl, India took an early advantage by dismissing the Black Caps’ openers, Harry Nicholls and Devon Conway, for just five runs combined, while Will Young was sent back to the pavilion with the score at 58/3 in the 13th over. 

However, Daryl Mitchell once again found his best against the Men in Blue, blasting a sensational 137 runs in just 131 deliveries, including 15 fours and three sixes. Glenn Phillips also played a massive role, finishing with 106 off 88 balls at a strike-rate of 120.45. 

That knock marked Mitchell’s second ton of the series and his fourth in the 50-over format against India. He has now moved above Rohit Sharma into second place in the ICC Men’s ODI batting rankings and earned the Player of the Match and Series awards on Sunday. 

Virat Kohli was once again the shining light for the home team, as he confirmed our cricket predictions by scoring yet another ton. It was his seventh century against NZ, the most of any Indian cricketer, but it was ultimately in vain, as his side came up 41 runs short of the 338-run target. 

The victory was a massive feather in the cap of the Kiwis, who just over a year ago claimed their first-ever Test series victory in India. The result also brought an end to Gautam Gambhir’s side’s 14-match ODI win streak on home soil. 

 

Pressure mounts on Gautam Gambhir after NZ series loss

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Following the loss in Indore, Gautam Gambhir has once again come under heavy scrutiny with fans and former players raising a plethora of concerns and questions regarding the head coach’s leadership of the national team. 

India have endured a few high-profile defeats during the Gambhir era, and the usual consistency, especially on home soil, that is associated with the Men in Blue is no longer there as defeats are starting to become more frequent. 

Indeed, it was the Black Caps that whitewashed Gambhir’s side 3-0 in a historic Test series in India in 2024, which was the first time the team ever suffered a clean sweep in the longest format of the game on home soil. However, the issues did not stop there.

Since Gambhir took over as head coach in 2024, his side have suffered ODI series defeats in Sri Lanka and Australia. They also missed out on qualification for the WTC final after losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and were handed another Test series whitewash by South Africa a couple of months ago. 

In the aftermath of Sunday’s defeat, social media erupted with some fans expressing their anger and frustration. Others criticised the head coach’s tactics and suitability, while calling for change and for Gambhir to be sacked immediately.