New Zealand’s victory was historic because it was their first-ever bilateral ODI series win on Indian soil. The Black Caps showed great spirit, bouncing back after losing the first match and then winning the second to level the series before the showdown.

Strong Batting Performance by New Zealand

New Zealand batted first after India won the toss and set a challenging total of 337/8 in their 50 overs. The backbone of this strong total came from two big innings by their experienced batters. Daryl Mitchell scored 137 runs, and Glenn Phillips made 106, putting together a huge partnership of 219 runs for the fourth wicket. Their partnership turned the match around after New Zealand had slipped to 58/3 early in the innings.

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Mitchell’s century was a key part of the team’s success, and Phillips’ century was equally important, helping New Zealand recover and dominate the game after a shaky start.

India’s Fightback and Kohli’s Century

Chasing a target of 338 runs, India started their innings with hope but lost wickets regularly in the early stages. The top order struggled, and key batters like Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill could not build big innings.

However, Virat Kohli played a magnificent innings for India, scoring 124 runs off 108 balls. This was his 54th ODI century, and he fought hard to keep India in the contest. Nitish Kumar Reddy also played well, scoring 53 runs, and Harshit Rana contributed a useful 52 runs.

Despite these efforts, India could not keep pace with the high target. They were eventually bowled out for 296 in 46 overs, falling 41 runs short of the target set by New Zealand.

Bowling Highlights

New Zealand’s bowlers did a good job in the middle overs to stop India’s chase. Zak Foulkes took three important wickets, and Kristian Clarke also finished with three scalps, keeping India under pressure as they tried to chase down the target.

For India, bowlers Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana had moments of success in the earlier New Zealand innings, but it was the batters who dominated for the visitors.

Historic Series Win and What Comes Next

This series win is a major achievement for New Zealand.

The two teams will soon face each other again in a five-match T20 International series, which will be an important preparation ahead of the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup.