India have won the first ODI against New Zealand at Vadodara by 4 wickets as Virat Kohli successfully scored 93 runs.
India registered a four-wicket win over New Zealand in the first ODI at Vadodara on Saturday, successfully chasing down a competitive target of 301 with six balls to spare. A composed 93 from Virat Kohli and a four-wicket haul from Kyle Jamieson stood out in a high-quality contest, but India’s depth ultimately made the difference as they went 1-0 up in the series.
Batting first, New Zealand posted a strong 300 for 8 in their 50 overs after opting to build on a solid top-order effort. Devon Conway (56 off 67) and Henry Nicholls (62 off 69) laid the foundation with a 117-run opening stand, providing stability through the first half of the innings.
Daryl Mitchell then took charge in the middle overs, playing a fluent knock of 84 from 71 balls, including five fours and three sixes, to push the scoring rate up.
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India managed to apply brakes through timely wickets. Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna picked up two wickets each, while Mohammed Siraj and Kuldeep Yadav chipped in with crucial breakthroughs.
Mitchell Hay’s quick 18 and late contributions from Kristian Clarke (24* off 17) and Kyle Jamieson (8* off 8) ensured New Zealand crossed the 300-run mark.
India’s Reply With The Bat
In reply, India were steady but not explosive early on. Rohit Sharma made 26 before falling to Jamieson, while captain Shubman Gill anchored the innings with a patient 56 off 71 balls.
The chase was defined by Virat Kohli’s calm and authoritative knock of 93 from 91 deliveries, during which he stitched vital partnerships, including a 118-run stand with Gill and a 77-run partnership with Shreyas Iyer (49 off 47).
New Zealand clawed back through Jamieson, who finished with impressive figures of 4 for 41, dismissing Kohli, Iyer, and Ravindra Jadeja in quick succession to keep the contest alive.
However, KL Rahul held his nerve with an unbeaten 29 off 21 balls, finding support from Harshit Rana, who struck a crucial 29 off 23. Washington Sundar stayed unbeaten at the end as India reached 306 for 6 in 49 overs.
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