Mitchell's ton dampens Rahul's century as New Zealand crush India by 7 wickets in 2nd ODI

New Zealand rode on Daryl Mitchell's splendid century to thrash India by seven wickets in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot to level series 1-1. KL Rahul's handsome 112 saw India posting a challenging target of 284. In reply, New Zealand chased down the target with 15 balls to spare, thanks to Mitchell's towering 131 and Will Young's robust 87.

New Zealand pull off record chase against India in 2nd ODI

Notably, this is the highest target successfully chased by New Zealand in India, besting their 283-run chase against England in Ahmedabad in the opening game of 2023 World Cup. The third and final ODI will be played on January 18 in Indore.

Earlier, India posted a competitive total of 284 for 7, primarily fueled by a resilient unbeaten century from KL Rahul. After being invited to bat first by New Zealand captain Michael Bracewell, India got off to a confident start, reaching 57 without loss by the end of the first powerplay as the openers navigated a testing new-ball spell from Kyle Jamieson. Shubman Gill appeared particularly sharp, reaching a 47-ball half-century and providing the early momentum the team needed.

KL Rahul's heroics goes in vain

However, the innings shifted drastically in the middle overs as India’s top order faltered. Following a solid 70-run opening stand, the dismissals of Rohit Sharma (24) and Gill (56) triggered a collapse that saw India slide from 99 for 1 to a precarious 118 for 4. With Shreyas Iyer and Virat Kohli falling in quick succession, Kohli notably chopping a delivery onto his stumps, New Zealand's bowlers tightened their grip on a two-paced surface that made aggressive stroke-playing difficult.

In the face of this pressure, Rahul emerged as the anchor, playing a mature and calculated innings. He initially focused on stability, forming a 73-run partnership with Ravindra Jadeja to rebuild the foundation. While wickets continued to fall at the other end, Rahul expertly managed the strike and paced his innings perfectly. He reached his century in the final over with a signature six off Kyle Jamieson, finishing on 112* off 92 balls to ensure India set a target that would challenge the visitors.

Nitish Kumar Reddy provided a brief spark to the innings with 20 runs off 21 balls, including a six, before falling to Zakary Foulkes in the 47th over. Shortly after, New Zealand’s debutant spinner Jayden Lennox celebrated a significant personal milestone by claiming his first international wicket, dismissing Harshit Rana for 2. Despite these quick breakthroughs for the visitors, KL Rahul remained unfazed and continued to anchor the Indian effort, dominating the strike during the high-pressure final overs.

Rahul eventually reached his eighth ODI century in emphatic fashion, launching a full toss from Kyle Jamieson over the long-on boundary for a massive six. He maintained his aggression until the very last ball, striking two additional boundaries off Foulkes in the final over to propel India past the 280-mark. His masterful, unbeaten 112 came from just 92 deliveries and featured 11 fours and a six, setting a challenging target of 285 for the Black Caps.

Daryl Mitchell, Will Young steal thunder in New Zealand's win

In New Zealand’s chase of 285, Young and Mitchell demonstrated remarkable poise, remaining unfazed even as the required run rate climbed above six per over. Their second-wicket partnership was the cornerstone of the innings, yielding 162 runs from 152 deliveries and ensuring the Black Caps stayed ahead of the game without any significant late-innings tension.

Young provided a solid foundation with a gritty 87 off 98 balls, featuring seven boundaries. His steady presence allowed Mitchell to play with creative freedom; the latter utilized an array of sweep shots to dismantle the Indian attack. Mitchell finished with a spectacular, unbeaten 131 off 117 balls, including 11 fours and two sixes, marking his third century against India and his eighth overall in ODI cricket.

The visitors' victory highlighted a persistent issue for India: the struggle of their spin department to match the impact of their opponents. While debutant left-arm spinner Jayden Lennox—replacing Mitchell Santner—stifled the Indian batters with figures of 1/42 from his 10 overs, India's Kuldeep Yadav struggled for rhythm. Despite constant tactical feedback from KL Rahul behind the stumps, Kuldeep finished with expensive figures of 1/82, often bowling too short and failing to find the necessary flight to deceive the batters.

Fortune also favored Mitchell, who was dropped on 80 by Prasidh Krishna at long-on during the 36th over. Though Kuldeep eventually broke the massive stand by dismissing Young, and Mohammed Siraj appeared to have trapped Mitchell leg-before shortly after, the decision was overturned upon review due to an inside edge. Combined with Michael Bracewell's economical 1/34 and a brief spell from Glenn Phillips, the New Zealand spinners proved far more effective than the Indian duo of Kuldeep and Ravindra Jadeja, who collectively conceded 126 runs for just one wicket.