Knocks of 137 and 106 from Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips took New Zealand to a commanding 337/8 on a two-paced black soil pitch, before the visitors held their nerve to overcome Virat Kohli’s valiant 54th ODI century – 124 off 108 balls – and bowl out India for 296 in 46 overs.
‘It’s always a pleasure to come over here and play in India in front of these amazing fans and play such a great team. So to be able to come over here and win a series, the first time a New Zealand team’s done it was pretty special.
‘You’re always hopeful when you’re going to come over here and play some good cricket. I think we really stuck to what we know works as a team, and we were able to come here and play some really good cricket in these conditions,’ said Bracewell in the post-match presentation ceremony.
He also praised Daryl Mitchell’s consistency in the format, while also highlighting the impact of debutants on the tour. ‘We’re the sum of all the parts, and we really try to work together as a group. That’s part of the Kiwi way, we’re just a small country from the bottom of the world, and we try to work together to take on some of the bigger countries in the world.
‘We really rally around there as a group, and when things come like that, it’s pretty special. He’s been amazing in the one-day format for a few years now. He’s done beautifully and led the batting attack. He’s a pretty humble guy, so to see him go through his thing and get the reward he deserves is pretty special.
‘Whenever you expose young people to international cricket and get two debutants on this tour, that’s very cool. Getting to experience the crowds and see the way we are here is a wonderful thing. I think particularly those two debutants have stuck out there and done a great job for us, all three of them. So, that’s been particularly pleasing on this tour. Growing the depth of cricket in New Zealand is awesome,’ elaborated Bracewell.