India won the three-match ODI series against New Zealand by a score of 3-0 and topped the Men's ODI rankings thanks to the 212-run opening stand between Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill and Shardul Thakur's all-round performance at the Holkar Cricket Stadium. In pursuit of a terrifying target of 386, the visitors managed 295.
Finn Allen bowled Hardik Pandya's short of a length ball into the stumps, denying New Zealand the quick start they needed; paying the price for stumbling around in the crease. However, Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls countered with a 106-run stand for the second wicket, scoring 138 runs off 100 balls. In addition to using their feet to exert some pressure on the Indian bowlers, the duo performed the scoop, pull, and slog-sweep moves.
With the skidder, Kuldeep Yadav caught Nicholls in front just in time. Conway continued to play freely despite losing his batting partner, employing the slog sweep, reverse sweep, and occasionally chipping down the track to challenge Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav. New Zealand were very much in the hunt with 184 for 2 in 25 overs. However, Thakur bowled a game-changing spell to put India on top.
Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips, who posed a threat, were both eliminated by Thakur using the cross-seam short ball. He also tried to knuckle Tom Latham out of the game. New Zealand suffered a devastating defeat when their centurion, Conway, chipped Umran Malik to Rohit at midwicket in the 32nd over. Mitchell Santner and Michael Bracewell (26) made good contributions, but they weren't able to repeat their heroics from the first ODI, when the visitors were bowled out in the 42nd over.
Gill and Rohit had previously put on a wonderful show on a small ground in conditions favorable to batting. India got off to a fast start when Gill and Rohit hit sixes (hook and loft) in the fifth over of the innings. As 22 runs were added in the eighth over, Gill continued to cut, drive, and steer Lockie Ferguson. Rohit pulled and lofted Jacob Duffy, matching Gill stroke for stroke.
In just the 13th over, India scored 100 runs. Rohit ultimately reached his hundred in the 26th over. Gill also made it to the landmark in the same over. At the time, it seemed like India could even reach 450, but New Zealand did a good job of regularly making incisions to slow the hosts' scoring rate. Michael Bracewell castled Rohit as he attempted to cross the line, and Blair Tickner demoted Gill.
Before losing to Duffy, Virat Kohli did play a cameo (27-ball 36). As New Zealand's into-the-surface bowling and variations in pace resulted in the wickets of Suryakumar Yadav and Washington Sundar, the track had also slowed down slightly by that time. After that, Shardul and Hardik Pandya put together a timely partnership of 54 runs in just over five overs to force New Zealand to chase down a formidable target.
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