Kanpur: Virat Kohli registered his 32nd ODI ton as India registered a thrilling six-run win over New Zealand in the third and the final ODI at the Green Park Stadium in Kanpur on Sunday. Courtesy a well-made 113, the Indian skipper also became the fastest to reach 9000 in ODI’s.
The visitors won the toss and decided to bowl first and they got off to a decent start, sending back half-centurion from last match-Shikhar Dhawan for just 14 runs. But what followed completely took away the game from them as all the New Zealand bowlers were pummeled for runs all throughout the park by skipper Kohli and his deputy Rohit Sharma.
The Mumbai batsman, who hasn’t had much of a good series so far rose to the occasion as he hammered his way to 147 runs of just 138 deliveries which included 18 fours and two huge sixes. He, along with Kohli registered a huge 230-run stand that was all about utter domination. The duo now has four double-century stands in ODI’s, which is the most by a pair in international cricket.
Towards the end of the innings, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (25) and Kedar Jadhav (18) provided the finishing touches as India notched up 337/6 in their 50 overs.
In reply, the New Zealand batsmen hammered their way to a brilliant beginning as 19 runs were hit of the very first over. Colin Munro opening the innings alongside Martin Guptill tore apart the bowling as the Kiwis chased down the runs at a good pace as no bowler could stop the onslaught.
Jasprit Bumrah however got the breakthrough in the sixth over when he sent back Martin Guptill for just 10 runs. That didn’t stop Munro from carrying on with the big shots as he then joined hands with skipper Kane Williamson to register a 109-run stand that threatened to take away the game as well as the series from India.
But when leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal went through the defense Munro, disturbing the woodwork behind him for 75, the entire crowd at the Green Park Stadium could breathe a sigh of relief. Chahal then scalped his second wicket as he dismissed the New Zealand skipper for a well-made 64 after the right-hander miscued a sweep shot that went straight up in the air and was caught with ease by former skipper MS Dhoni.
But the fight wasn’t over yet as Tom Latham, who had scored a century in the first match, made a brisk 65 from 52 balls before he was dismissed courtesy a run-out. Among all the bowlers for India, Bumrah (3/47) and Chahal (2/47) were the most successful ones. In the end, India held on to their nerves as they registered a narrow six-run win which also helped them clinch the series 2-1.
Brief scores-
India 337/6 (Rohit Sharma 147, Virat Kohli 113; Mitchell Santner 2/58) beat New Zealand 331/7 (Colin Munro 75, Tom Latham 65; Jasprit Bumrah 3/47) by 6 runs.
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