In response, veteran batter Virat Kohli held India’s innings together and notched up his 85th international ton, but received little support from the other end. As a result, India were bowled out for 296 and ended up losing the ODI series 1-2.
This defeat was particularly painful, as it marked the first time New Zealand won an ODI series in India. Reacting to the setback, India skipper Shubman Gill expressed his disappointment and also touched upon the team’s plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
“After the first match, coming here 1-1, the way we played is disappointing. There are areas we need to reflect on and improve. The way Virat is batting is always a plus. The way Harshit batted in this series-batting at No. 8 is not easy-was impressive. The fast bowlers also bowled well throughout the series,” Gill said at the presentation ceremony.
“Keeping the World Cup in mind, we want to give Nitish Kumar Reddy opportunities. We want to give him enough overs to see which combinations work for us and what kinds of deliveries suit him,” he added.
Gill’s comments about Nitish came a day after Indian assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted, following the second ODI defeat, that the all-rounder was not “doing a heck of a lot” with the limited game time he had received.
Daryl Mitchell, who was adjudged Player of the Series for his scores of 84, 131* and 137, said that focusing on the present helped him throughout the series.
“It’s really nice to contribute to the team. To win here in India is special. As a group, the way we built partnerships was crucial, and it’s nice to be up there,” Mitchell said.