Rohit Sharma-led side beat Black Caps by six wicket. With fifth straight win, India remain unbeaten in World Cup
Dharamsala: Virat Kohli’s 95 off 104 balls anchored another tricky chase with perfection after Mohammad Shami’s sizzling five-wicket haul as India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the World Cup here on Sunday, oct 22, their first win over Black Caps in an ICC event after 20 years, a PTI report in The Tribbune, Chandigarh, says.
Shami (5/54) starred with the ball to restrict New Zealand to 273 all out despite Daryl Mitchell’s gutsy 130 off 127 balls.
Kohli anchored India’s chase with a near blemish-free knock and shared three crucial 50-run stands with Shreyas Iyer (33), KL Rahul (27) and Ravindra Jadeja (39 not out) to guide his side home in 48 overs.
‘Splendid team effort’: PM Modi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday congratulated the Indian cricket team on their victory against New Zealand in a world cup match, lauding their “splendid team effort”.
“Congratulations to the Indian cricket team on their splendid victory against New Zealand! It was a splendid team effort where everybody contributed. The dedication and skill on the field was exemplary,” he said on X.
With India on the cusp of victory, Kohli went for the record of equalling 49th ODI hundred but much to the disappointment of a packed crowd at the HPCA stadium, he was caught in the deep.
Chasing 274, Shubman Gill (26) relied on his exquisite timing to find boundaries, while Rohit Sharma (46) played the power game.
Gill drove Trent Boult through extra cover and square to pick up back-to-back boundaries in the seventh over. He then flicked Matt Henry through mid-on and midwicket to bring up India’s 50 in just 7.4 overs.
Rohit looked in ominous touch as he just planted his foot forward and lap-swept Henry to the backward square leg boundary and then followed it up with a six over mid-off two balls later.
Rohit was lucky as he was dropped by New Zealand skipper Tom Latham behind the stumps off Mitchell Santner in the next over and he punished the left-arm spinner by tonking him over deep midwicket for a six the very next ball.
But Rohit failed to cash in as he dragged a Lockie Ferguson delivery onto the stumps in the next over to end the dangerous-looking 71-run opening stand.
Ferguson dealt another blow to India in his next over in the form of Gill, who was caught by Mitchell at deep third-man boundary.
Kohli then took the innings forward with the help of Iyer (33 off 29) and K L Rahul (27 off 35).
However, two quick wickets of Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav made things little difficult for India before Kohli bailed out the hosts with a 78-run sixth-wicket stand with Jadeja (39 not out).
The start was far from rosy for New Zealand who lost Devon Conway early. The left-hander flicked a Mohammed Siraj delivery straight to Shreyas Iyer at forward square leg in the fourth over.
The Indians were sloppy on the field as Mitchell also got a reprieve on 69 in the 33rd over when Jasprit Bumrah dropped an easy chance at the long-off boundary.
Shami finally broke the partnership in the next over when Ravindra failed to clear the long-on boundary, handing a simple catch to Shubman Gill.
India pulled things back significantly by picking up six wickets in the last six overs for only 30 runs.
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