Kohli stars in India's 4 wicket win over New Zealand as the hosts lead series 1-0

 

India did win the first ODI against New Zealand on the back of Virat Kohli’s superb 93, but not without leaving a few concerns. In the closing stages, KL Rahul played the role of the finisher, while Harshit Rana’s breezy cameo made India’s task considerably easier. Chasing a target of 300, India eventually won by four wickets to take a 1–0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

India’s luck at the toss is usually questionable, but in Baroda it smiled on Shubman Gill. Winning the toss and opting to bowl raised no eyebrows. New Zealand made a commanding start, prompting early discussions on whether leaving out Arshdeep Singh had been a mistake. Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls took the Kiwis past 100 inside 20 overs. The first breakthrough came through Harshit Rana, a player who has not been short of critics. There have been murmurs that his opportunities stem from being Gautam Gambhir’s “favourite”. Yet, Rana continues to justify the faith. He lured Nicholls (62) into a trap with a delivery outside off stump, and soon after dismissed Conway (56) as well. Mohammed Siraj added to the pressure by removing Will Young and Zachary Foulkes. Despite wickets falling at the other end, Daryl Mitchell kept the scoring rate intact before Prasidh Krishna accounted for his wicket (84). New Zealand’s innings eventually closed at 300.

There was little to suggest major danger on the Baroda pitch, and with dew expected, New Zealand’s bowlers were always likely to struggle. That proved to be the case. Even accomplished fielders like Glenn Phillips and Daryl Mitchell spilled catches—one of them reprieving Shubman Gill (56). The Indian captain did register a half-century, though he never looked completely at ease. All eyes, however, were on the famed ‘Ro-Ko’ duo. Rohit Sharma (26) failed to capitalise on a promising start, perishing to a loose shot. But Kohli, as so often, took centre stage. His presence alone seemed to guarantee another record, and while he did surpass one of Sachin Tendulkar’s milestones, he fell short of becoming the highest run-scorer in ODIs against New Zealand. Still, he reached the remarkable landmark of 28,000 international runs across formats.

As long as Kohli remained at the crease, India breathed easy. His dismissal—just seven runs short of a century—triggered a collapse in confidence. Ravindra Jadeja and Shreyas Iyer departed soon after. Returning from injury, Iyer narrowly missed a half-century, and once he was dismissed, fears of defeat loomed large. Kyle Jamieson’s pace and bounce, combined with Zachary Foulkes’ probing medium pace, put India under pressure. Questions were raised over head coach Gautam Gambhir’s decision to send Jadeja ahead of KL Rahul. Yet, another gamble paid off. With Washington Sundar injured, Harshit Rana walked in at No. 7 and played a priceless knock of 29 off 23 balls. Sundar did come out to bat later, braving his injury.

And then there was KL Rahul—quietly reaffirming his reputation as the team’s most dependable batter, irrespective of where he is slotted in the order. Calm under pressure, he guided the chase deep and finished the match in style, striking 4, 4, and 6 off the final three balls of the 49th over to seal victory for India.