With his 149-ball 208, Shubman Gill became the youngest person to score a double hundred in an ODI for men. With this score, India defeated New Zealand by 12 runs to start the three-match series in Hyderabad. In the 350 chase, Michael Bracewell put on a similarly bold performance, but his career-best 140 and record-setting 162 partnership with Mitchel Santner from a precarious 131/6 were insufficient to help the visitors pull a rabbit out of the hat.
Gill made batting look easy with his authoritative pulls and sublime driving on a track where spinners found turn and odd balls were stopping. Gill and Rohit Sharma capitalized early on Henry Shipley's inability to execute his lengths, which helped India get off to a winning start because India chose to set a defendable target. Rohit made merry with two sixes and a few boundaries in the first five overs as the pacer was costly upfront. New Zealand, on the other hand, came up with ways to make mistakes and sabotage every meaningful partnership that India would establish.
Rohit skied a lofted shot straight to midfield after a 38-ball 34. Going back to defend a length ball from Santner that turned a touch and crashed into the off stump, Kohli was in and out quickly. If not for a fumble behind the stumps, Bracewell nearly ended Gill's innings next, and the opener went on to raise a run-a-ball fifty with a slog-sweep later in the over. India, on the other hand, fell to 110/3 after Kishan snatched one from Lockie Ferguson behind.
Suryakumar Yadav was unfazed, scoring four boundaries in the first ten deliveries he faced, and the pair ran exemplary between the wickets to reach fifty in just 38 balls. Suryakumar, after surviving a stumping scare from Santner, chipped one tamely to him at cover in Darly Mitchell's next over. Gill picked up speed and kept the occasional boundary in.
Gill was able to reach 99 with a pull before raising the bat for his second consecutive century in just 87 deliveries, despite an important wicket being taken against the flow of play. This was Gill's third ODI hundred in 19 innings, making him the second fastest Indian to reach that mark after Shikhar Dhawan (17). When he reached 109, he also broke Dhawan and Kohli's record of 24 innings and became the quickest Indian to 1000 ODI runs.
A disputed decision by the third umpire to adjudge Pandya bowled, when it was unclear whether it was the ball or Latham's gloves that nudged the bails off, ended their 74-run partnership, but Gill got a second reprieve on 122 when Shipley failed to latch on to a return catch from the opener.
Gill brought up the 150 with a six, just like his fifty, which was well smoked over a wide long-on fence. After a brief dry spell, New Zealand managed to get through four overs without any boundaries. Shipley took his first ODI wicket in Washington Sundar, and Thakur gave up his wicket for Gill due to a terrible mix-up. With two sixes off Tickner in the 48th over, Gill repaid Tickner's modest act of faith. He reached 200 with the final of three consecutive sixes off Ferguson in the 49th, but he eventually lost, leaving India with a formidable 349/8 score.
Along the way to his 140, Bracewell also tore through record books. His collaboration with Santner was the nation's highest for the seventh wicket, the format's highest against India, and the third-best overall. His 57-ball century against India was only the second fastest for New Zealand. He is the second player to ever score two hundreds in an ODI at number. 7, following MS Dhoni. However, his 78-ball attempt was hopelessly inadequate to complete the rescue mission.
The Kiwis started the tall chase with a mixed bag of individual brilliance and a 3 for 19 post-powerplay collapse. Devon Conway, who quickly fell in love with Siraj, missed a well-directed short ball from the hometown hero. Even Finn Allen showed signs of returning to form after a cautious start, finishing the 11th over from Hardik with 4, 6, 4, 4, and welcoming Kuldeep with yet another boundary to take the score from 17 off 27 to 39 in the next five balls.
However, Thakur came into the game with a short ball to put an end to that threat, allowing the opener to hit the bigger side boundary. Allen took the bait and pulled too quickly, which caused the collapse. Before completely misinterpreting a wrong'un that turned back in to surprise Nicholls, Nicholls played out a maiden from Kuldeep before beating the inside edge and hitting the off-stump. The wrist-spinner got Daryl Mitchell caught in front of him in his next move, but the all-rounder kept taking it upstairs in hopes.
Glenn Phillips succumbed to the pressure of dots, starting with a second-ball slog-sweep for six off Kuldeep and failing to cross the line with a length ball from Shami to break free. In the 27th over, the asking rate reached double digits for the first time, but Bracewell dragged it back with Shami's back-to-back fours. However, in a near-replica of the Conway expulsion, Siraj sacked New Zealand captain Tom Latham just as the partnership appeared to be taking off.
After that, together, Bracewell and Santner tore into India's attack, one boundary at a time, and turned the tables on the hosts, who had let their guard down a little bit. Washington was dealt a severe blow toward the end of an extended opening period when the first team picked him up for two goals in a row and the second team stepped out to loft one into the screen. Post-drinks, Santner also hit three boundaries off Pandya in four balls in his two overs. Bracewell, like the only other half-centurion in the game, scored the milestone in just 31 balls by scoring six off a returning Thakur sandwiched between two fours.
Bracewell continued to be the aggressor, and he only needed 26 more balls to reach the century thanks to his relentless attack on spin and pace. Even though Santner played second fiddle and quietly moved to a 40-ball fifty of his own, New Zealand was able to keep up with the asking rate of 10-plus thanks to Bracewell's blinder. Since the drinks break, the tourists had picked up 150 in just 14 overs to get dangerously close to the goal.
In his final over, Siraj attempted to halt that momentum with two strikes, including the wicket of Santner, who never appeared to be in control of the pull shot. But more lustful blows from Bracewell saw him win the fight right down to the wire. The perfect leg-stump yorker caught Bracewell squarely in front when New Zealand needed 13 off the final four deliveries, even though Thakur was under the pump after fumbling with his earlier attempts at wide yorkers. The three reds relieved the Indians, but the all-rounder chose a desperate review.
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