Mitchell, spinners end NZ's eight-match losing streak against India
Daryl Mitchell does it in style. On his back, but after having played the ramp over the keeper's head to take New Zealand home with 15 balls to spare. He ends up with an unbeaten 131 off 117. He now has 2553 runs in just 53 innings with eight hundreds, elite numbers for a middle-order batter. We leave you with a teaser from our report, and look forward to the decider in Indore.
Daryl Mitchell and Will Young powered New Zealand’s highest successful chase in India to end their eight-match losing streak against India. They might not have been chasing that high a total had it not been for a masterful KL Rahul century when the ball gripped the surface in the afternoon. India’s fast bowlers were superb in the early goings, reducing New Zealand to 46 for 2, but from the moment Mitchell targeted Kuldeep Yadav on his introduction, New Zealand didn’t look back.
The pitch quickened up in the cooler evening even though there was no dew, Kuldeep went for 82, Mitchell and Young added 162, Mitchell went on to get his eighth hundred, Rajkot’s new stadium had its first successful chase in five ODIs, and the high-scoring Indore was set for a decider. Rahul’s century in the afternoon was his eighth in 85 innings, an impressive feat in itself, which puts Mitchell’s eighth in his 53rd innings in elite echelons, especially given how Mitchell has been a career middle-order batter.
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Hundred for Mitchell
Earlier today, KL Rahul reached eight ODI hundreds in his 93rd match. It is impressive enough considering he has batted quite a bit in the middle order. Daryl Mitchell has matched his eight, in only his 58th match. Now this is elite for a career middle-order batter. A late bloomer but what a player. New Zealand's chase was going nowhere when he came in to bat, and he started fluently. And then he took down Kuldeep Yadav. He missed out on a century last match, dropped a catch when they had an outside chance, but has bounced back superbly.
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Under a run a ball
With a lovely cover-drive to the left of cover off Kuldeep Yadav in the 40th over, Glenn Phillips has brought down the requirement to 62 off 64. In the last 10, they need just 58. the asking rate never reached seven an over. Safe to say they have been in control despite the superb first spells of all three of India's quicks.
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Young falls 13 short of a hundred
Mohammed Siraj bowls the 37th over for just three runs, and New Zealand seem keen to manufacture something in Kuldeep Yadav's next over. Will Young especially is looking to hit too hard, and he ends up top-edging a wrong'un to fall 14 short of a hundred. New Zealand 208 for 3 in 38 overs.
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Mitchell gets lucky
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Some untidy cricket for India in the 36th over. Off the second ball, Ravindra Jadeja misfielded a reverse-sweep at backward point. On the third ball, Jadeja had Daryl Mitchell dead to rights when he got a good bounce on an imporbable single but he missed. Mitchell provide3d India another chance immediately with a miscue, but Prasidh Krishna, running from long-on to his left missed the chance. New Zealand 200 for 2 in 36 overs.
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Ask under 100
Kuldeep Yadav going for runs was the first blow. The ball not gripping for Prasidh Krishna and Harshit rana in their second spells was the second blow. Now India are at the mercy of these two fine batters. Daryl Mitchell has reached 80 off 77, Will Young is 75 off 88. New Zealand now need just 98 from 90 balls with eight balls in hand. We are headed towards a decider in Indore, folks.
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Young gets to fifty too
Skipping down the track, picking the slower one from Prasidh Krishna, Will Young punches him to the left of backward point for a four to bring up his first fifty in the last 12 ODI innings. He has got there in 68 balls. He and Mitchell are putting New Zealand on track. The pitch is not gripping as much as it did. you don't really need dew per se. Just as the temperature drops, pitches in India tend to settle down. New Zealand 134 for 2 in 28 overs.
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Fifty for Mitchell
5 Number of 50-plus scores for Daryl Mitchell in his last six ODI innings. He has got there in 52 balls. New Zealand 126 for 2 in 27 overs. India have a problem. Kuldeep Yadav has gone for 34 in four overs
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Time for Kuldeep Yadav
India's frontline fast bowlers have been phenomenal, going for just 53 runs in their 15 over sso far. They have taken the wickets of the openers. Daryl Mitchell and Will Young have put together a partnership, scoring has just a tad easier, but at 82 for 2 in 20 overs, India can say they have bowled well. They have also got in two overs from Nitish Kumar Reddy. Now comes the crucial phase of Kuldeep, whom Daryl Mitchell has hit for a six and a four in his first over. Six by charging at him, and four by playing the paddle sweep. The partnership now have 50 runs at better than a run a ball. New Zealand 96 for 2 in 21 overs.
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No spin in first 15 overs
0 Number of overs of spin in the first 15 overs. That the ball has seamed has allowed India to introduce Nitish Kumar Reddy before the spinners. It also perhaps tells you that India are not too worried about the dew. Reddy's last ball was hit for a six by Daryl Mitchell so we might just see spin immediately after the drinks. New Zealand 64 for 2 in 15 overs
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Nicholls falls on the pull
Henry Nicholls loves the pull shot, but it has proved to be his downfall this time. India have not given him anything all innings, and then when he finds one to pull, from Prasidh Krishna, the ball just sits in the surface and arrives a tad late. He gets a bottom edge onto the leg stump. Nicholls gone for 10 off 24. New Zealand 46 for 2 in 12.4 overs.
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India excellent with new ball
Apart from perhaps one ball each in the first two overs, Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana have been at the batters with the new balls. They have found just enough seam movement to remain threatening. Henry Nicholls and Will Young have been lucky to survive. Young has had his bat beaten seven times in 21 balls. Nicholls has played four false shots in 18 balls. New Zealand 34 for 1 in 10 overs. The last ball of the 10th over, a steered boundary to fine third, is the first boundary in 42 balls.
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Rana gets Conway
Harshit Rana continues with his hard lengths and seam movement. He is around late 130s and early 140s with his pace, but his height helps him hit those uncomfortable lengths and he does draw seam movement if it is available. One ball after drawing the outside edge from Devon Conway, which falls short, he bowls one that seams back in, hits the pad and rattles the off stump. Conway gone for 16 off 21. New Zealand 22 for 1 in 5.2 overs.
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Conway gets going
Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana open the bowling for India. Devon Conway has hit boundaries off both of them in their opening overs, on both occasions square-driving width given to him. New Zealand 11 for 0 in two overs.
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Time for the chase
Welcome back. The chase will begin soon. Two ways to go about it. First is to keep wickets in hand and let the sweet dew do its job in the second half of the chase. But what if there isn't any dew? The pitch could slow down even further in that case. The other way is to take toll of the new ball and the field restrictions. A lot will depend on what the new ball does. We will find out soon.
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New Zealand need 285 to win
KL Rahul has carried India to 284 with 112 off just 92 balls. Without Rahul's effort, India could well have been restricted to around 240. New Zealand won't be too disappointed, though, because the way India started even 350 looked possible. India were 99 for 1 in the 17th over before the slowness of the surface got middle-order wickets, but Rahul batted through and scored 112 out of the 169 that came while he was at the wicket. A par score, I'd say, and a lot will depend on how the conditions change when it cools down in the evening. Exciting chase on the cards.
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Eighth ODI century for KL Rahul
Off the last ball of the 49th over, KL Rahul drills a full toss into the stands to bring up his eighth ODI hundred in just 85 innings. He celebrates it by whistling. What a valuable player he has been for India in the middle order when exactly that has been the hole for India over the years. Hundred off just 87 balls. India 272 for 7.
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Lennox gets his first international wicket
Not only has Jayden lennox been economical on ODI debut, he has also come back to bowl the 48th over. Not only has he bowled the 48th over well, he has also has the wicket of Harshit Rana. Fired the first one in. Dot. Lobbed the second one wicket, getting an arguable call of wide from the umpire. And then Rana tries to go inside-out but hits it only as far as long-off. Just two boundaries off Lennox in his analysis of 10-0-42-1. India 258 for 7 in 48 overs.
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Foulkes gets Reddy
Old tattered ball, slower short ball, but Nitish Kumar Reddy doesn't have too many options. He has to go for it. The ramp will go only so far so he has to hook it. Doesn't get all of it, caught at deep midwicket for 20 off 21. A good innings given the conditions and the match state. India 248 for 6 in 46.2 overs. And once again, KL Rahul finds himself batting with Harshit Rana.
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Bracewell 10-1-34-1
Captain Michael Bracewell has used the conditions beautifully to strangle India in the middle overs. The only boundary off his bowling came in his 10th over, and for that KL Rahul had to play the reverse-sweep. Bracewell has the wicket of Ravindra Jadeja to go with the conomical figures. India 222 for 5 in 43 overs.
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A run-a-ball fifty for KL Rahul
KL Rahul has got to the mark with a thick edge for four past short third but KL Rahul has been superb for the large part of this innings on a slow pitch which is not conducive to scoring at will. He came in at the fall of the third wicket at 115 in 21.3 overs. He has scored 52 out of the 84 runs since then. India go into the last 10 with 199 for 5 on the board.
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Timely strike for Bracewell
KL Rahul has gradually changed gears in the last few overs of pace, but Michael Bracewell has brought himself back on and struck first ball. Again the slowness of the pitch has Ravindra Jadeja offering a return catch. Jadeja is looking to work a shortish ball to leg but ends up hitting it back to Bracewell. Gone for 27 off 44. And Bracewell proceeds to make it a wicket-maiden as Nitish Kumar Reddy comes in. India 191 for 5 in 39 overs.
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Rahul attacks Foulkes
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This is the 36th over. Zak Foulkes is looking to go into the pitch but he is not as tall as the others and the ball hasn't quite gripped as much as would have liked. KL Rahul has hit him both to the point and square leg boundary. Rahul is now 33 off 41, India 174 for 4 in 36 overs.
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100 balls, 3 wickets, 2 boundaries
At 33.4 overs, we are 200 legal deliveries into the innings. It has a neat line running at the 100th ball when Shubman Gill played a lovely cov er-drive for four. Off the 101st he was caught at short midwicket. So this is what has happened:
First 100 balls, 99 for 1, 15 fours, 1 six
Next 100 balls: 58 for 3, 2 fours
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Rahul hits a four
62 Number of balls India went without a boundary before KL Rahul charged Glenn Phillips and drove him between mid-off and cover. India 133 for 4 in 27.1 overs.
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Ten overs without a boundary
34 Number of runs spinners have conceded in their 11 overs. And there have been 10.2 overs without a boundary. India 129 for 4 in 27 overs.
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Clarke gets Kohli too
This is the biggest blow. Virat Kohli, still managing to be fluent on a slow pitch, has perished. He is trying to run Kristian Clarke behind square for a single but he is cramped for room and ends up playing on. This has come on the back of nearly seven overs without a boundary. Memories of the World Cup final when on a slow surface Kohli played on. India are similarly stuck in the middle. Kohli gone for 23 off 29. India 118 for 4 in 23.3. In comes Ravindra Jadeja at his home ground.
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Clarke gets Iyer
Shreyas Iyer didn't really find rhythm in his 17-ball innings of eight runs. New Zealand are now hitting hard lengths and drying up boundaries. Eventually Iyer takes the risk, trying to hit Kristian Clarke over the top but all he manages is a catch to mid-off. India 115 for 3 in 21.3. Good to see KL Rahul come out at No. 5 with 28.3 overs to go.
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Lennox 5-0-18-0
Jayde3n Lennox has given a good account of himself on debut, going at under five an over in his first spell while India score at around six an over. He has shown great control of length. He has perhaps overpitched once in five overs. This is probably why he has gone at under five an over in List A cricket on small New Zealand grounds. India 114 for 2 in 21 overs.
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Gill falls to Jamieson
New Zealand have brought back Kyle Jamieson possibly because of Virat Kohli, but he has got rid of the set batter, Shubman Gill. One ball after a stunning cover-drive for four, Gill looks for his trademark short-arm pull, but Jamieson's height means the ball gets a little big on him and he is caught at short midwicket. He is gone for 56 off 53, India 99 for 2 in 16.5 overs.
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Fifty for Gill
With a cut in front of square off the returning Kyle Jamieson, Shubman Gill has brought uo his fifty off just 47 balls. He started off watchfully, got some width after that and has not looked back ever since. He has hit eight fours and a six. India 87 for 1 in 15 overs.
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Rohit perishes trying to press further
Shubman Gill's acceleration has been smooth this innings, but Rohit Sharma, who started the turnaround, plateaued out a little bit before taking a risk. His innings has had three distinct phases: 1 off 11, 18 off 9, and then 5 off 18. And the risk doesn't pay off as he charges Kristian Clarke and ends up holing out to deep cover. Clarke holds a good length and goes cross-seam. Rohit ends up getting too much elevation. Gone for 24 off 38. India 70 for 1 in 12.2.
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India press the accelerator
47 Number of runs India scored in overs six to 10 after just 10 in the first five overs.
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Rohit Sharma breaks the shackles
New Zealand have been asking all the right questions for the first five overs, keeping the batters honest and also going past the bat. They have conceded just 10 in the first five overs, but in the sixth, Rohit Sharma gets stuck into Zak Foulkes with a square cut and an aerial extra-cover drive. India 18 for 0 after six overs.
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India start watchfully
Kyle Jamieson and Zak Foulkes get us going with their combination of outswing and in swing. Rohit Sharma is particularly watchful as he sees off a maiden from Jamieson. India 1 for 0 in two overs.
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New Zealand choose to chase
Michael Bracewell called right at the toss to deny India a rare hat-trick of toss wins after losing 20 in a row. New Zealand disregarded the venue record of four successful defences in four matches and decided to chase, hoping dew would come to their aid in the night. It is not just about gripping the ball, but the pitch starting to skid on when in the evening.
India's captain Shubman Gill said he would have batted first anyway. He reported there wasn't much dew at the venue when they trained a night before. He also said he has inputs that the pitch tends to slow down.
Both sides made one change each. India were forced to get in a replacement for the injured Washington Sundar. Nitish Kumar Reddy, already in the squad, was preferred to Ayush Badoni, which also suggests the pitch was not expected to help the slower bowlers more inordinately. It also meant that Arshdeep Singh continued to stay on the bench.
New Zealand replaced legspinner Adithya Ashok with debutant left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox. In List A cricket, Lennox has gone at a little over four and over and has taken 1.25 wickets per match.
India 1 Shubman Gill (capt.), 2 Rohit Sharma, 3 Virat Kohli, 4 Shreyas Iyer, 5 KL Rahul (wk), 6 Ravindra Jadeja, 7 Nitish Kumar Reddy, 8 Harshit Rana, 9 Kuldeep Yadav, 10 Mohammed Siraj, 11 Prasidh Krishna
New Zealand 1 Devon Conway, 2 Henry Nicholls, 3 Will Young, 4 Daryl Mitchell, 5 Glenn Phillips, 6 Mitchell Hay (wk), 7 Michael Bracewell (capt.), 8 Zak Foulks, 9 Kristian Clarke, 10 Kyle Jamieson, 11 Jayden Lennox
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Jayden Lennox debuts
At the other end of the warm-ups, left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox has been handed his cap. He will be making his ODI debut after Kristian Clarke did it last game. Likely that he replaces the legspinner Adithya Ashok. We will find out in 10 minutes.
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Why Ayush Badoni?
The moment the selectors named Ayush Badoni as the replacement for Washington Sundar, people were surprised because he seemed to have made the side from nowhere, but in domestic cricket and A cricket, Badoni has been bowling quite a bit and batting in the lower middle order. People fitting that job description are a scarce commodity so he has been rewarded. Riyan Parag will feel even more frustrated with his injury because this seemed like a time when he would have been the first cab off the rank.
In the last two List A seasons, badoni has averaged around six overs per match for less than five an over and wickets at around 25 per. Now does he get into the XI or does Nitish Kumar Reddy, already in the squad, gets precedence? The pitch will play a role there. If it is a dry surface, Badoni might just get a cap here.
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Rajkot, here comes ODI cricket
The ODI series stays in Gujarat as it moves from Vadodara to Rajkot. The rules of engagement are similar but this venue has hosted four ODIs and all four won by sides batting first. Can New Zealand push India further? Can India seal the series right here and then experiment in the third ODI? Who will replace Washington Sundar? Will Arshdeep Singh come back?
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