IND vs NZ: Kohli, Gill fifties guide India to victory in first ODI

Indian cricket team players Shreyas Iyer, Harshit Rana and Washington Sundar relished the team’s victory in the first game of the three-match ODI series against New Zealand at the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, on Sunday. Runs from the bats of captain Shubman Gill (56), Virat Kohli (93), Shreyas Iyer (49) and lower-order aplomb from KL Rahul (29) and all-rounder Harshit Rana (29) helped India chase a challenging 301-run target against New Zealand.

With the ball, Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar and Mohammed Siraj each claimed two wickets earlier in the match to restrict the Kiwis to 300/8 despite a strong 117-run partnership between Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway.

‘Great start for the series’: Shreyas Iyer

In a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Shreyas Iyer calls the victory a great start to the series. He also expresses delight at returning from an injury and getting to share the dressing room with the team after quite a while, something he missed during his time recovering from the injury.

“Great start for the series. Coming back after a while into the team, it feels great to be a part of this squad. More than that, it was a great feeling to share the dressing room with each and every one. I was missing it for quite a while, but I am happy to be back,” says Iyer in the video released by the BCCI.

Iyer heaps praise on Kohli’s consistency

Iyer also heaped praise on Kohli’s 93-run knock, his fifth consecutive fifty-plus score in ODIs. “Whatever we talk about his innings, it would be less. We have been seeing it for so many years now he’s been doing it consistently. The way he rotates the strike and he takes on the bowlers, he basically walks the talk,” Iyer said.

‘All-rounders get early chances’: Harshit Rana

All-rounder Harshit Rana, who broke New Zealand’s opening stand between Nicholls and Conway, also expressed content. Rana said he dismissed Nicholls with a wide yorker that came off perfectly, followed it up by removing Conway in the next over, and enjoyed taking two wickets in quick succession. He credited his father for shaping his batting and said that his father believed all-rounders get earlier opportunities in the Indian team. Rana added that he is developing his game to contribute with runs for the team while batting at No. 8.

“The first wicket I took was of Nicholls. While I was planning to bowl wide to him but I hadn’t thought of a wide yorker but it landed right. The other wicket was of Devon Conway and it felt great to scalp two wickets in two back-to-back overs,” said Rana. “The credit for my batting goes to my father because he always used to think that all-rounders get early chances for playing in the Indian team. Even today, I think he is going to go hard on me for the way I got out. I am developing my game in such a manner that I can contribute with 30-40 runs for the team, coming at number 8,” Rana added.

Washington Sundar on finishing the game

Washington Sundar said he enjoyed the moment and credited his younger self for dreaming of winning games for the team. He praised KL Rahul’s batting and explained that his own role was to manage the late overs carefully and ensure Rahul was on strike for the final deliveries. Notably, with 10 needed in 10 balls, Washington Sundar gave the strike to Rahul on the third ball of the penultimate over, and Rahul hit two back-to-back boundaries and then followed up with a six to get the Men in Blue over the line.

“It was fun. I owe this to little Washi, who has watched so many games like these on TV and told himself that you do anything to win the game for your team. KL batted beautifully, and knowing he was there, I knew I didn’t have to take too much risk, I just had to play the 48th and 49th over and make sure it’s him who is batting for the last 10 balls in the game,” Sundar said. (ANI)

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