The epic battle between the two unbeaten teams ended with India taking the victory home as they defeated New Zealand by 4 wickets. This is the first time India have beaten New Zealand in an ICC tournament after 20 years.
India won the toss and Rohit Sharma elected to bowl first. Post the victory, India has shot to the top of the points table, while New Zealand has slipped to the second position.
This match was truly a battle of equals. Till the very end of the match uncertainty loomed over who would ultimately win the game. India started great initially and took out Devon Conway super early in the game and continued to limit the opposition in their clutches.
New Zealand, however, made a great comeback and Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell held the team’s stand and went on to score big. While Rachin missed the opportunity to score a century and was taken out at 75, Mitchell scored 130 runs in total and played till the last over. However, India’s star for today, Mohammed Shami was successful in taking Mitchell off the field in the second-last ball of the first innings.
Post Rachin’s wicket after 33.3 overs, there was no stopping the Indian bowlers. As Mitchell stood at the non-striking end, India kept taking his partners out one by one. Mohammed Shami, who played his first match of this tournament today, took a five-wicket haul and eventually won the Player of the Match award. Other India bowlers also pitched in. Kuldeep Yadav took 2 wickets while Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj took one wicket each.
Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill give India perfect headstart
While Virat Kohli carried India on his shoulders till the very end, openers Rohit Sharma and Shubman Gill gave India the start they needed. They both scored quick runs in the initial overs, helping mount the pressure on New Zealand. In the 12th over, Lockie Ferguson broke the partnership, which was soon followed by Gill’s wicket in the 14th over at the hands of Ferguson again.
Following their partnership, Virat Kohli formed a 50-run partnership with both Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul. However, India were soon given a reality check after Rahul was taken out by Mitchell Stantner in the 33rd over. New Zealand’s bowlers and fielders continued to close in on Indian players but Virat Kohli held strong and scored 95 runs before Matt Henry took his wicket in the 48th over. A dejected Kohli walked back to pavilion when India needed five runs to win.
Ultimately, Ravindra Jadeja, who supported Kohli and delivered exactly what was asked of him, hit the finishing shot of the game, giving India a four-wicket win.
Post the match, Rohit Sharma said, “Good start to the tournament. Job is half done. Important to stay balanced. Not to think too far ahead.”