2nd ODI: Rahul ton in vain as Mitchell, Young steer NZ to win

New Zealand leveled the ODI series against India, winning by seven wickets, with Daryl Mitchell scoring 131* and India posting 284/7.

Rajkot: One of the tropes around New Zealand cricket’s success is how they punch above their weight. It often gets lost in this narrative that they surprise the more fancied sides because of their meticulous preparation. India experienced the ferocity of their hard work in the 2024 Test whitewash at home.

New Zealand's Daryl Mitchell celebrates after scoring a century during the second ODI against India. (AFP)

On Wednesday in the Rajkot ODI, India were again on the receiving end when a depleted Kiwi side put it past them to level the series 1-1. New Zealand won by seven wickets with 2.5 overs left, reaching 286/3 in reply to India’s 284/7.

Again, the chief architects of the win – Daryl Mitchell (131* - 117b,11x4,2x6) and Will Young (87 - 98b, 7x4) could do it with their vastly improved game against spin, refined by repeated tours of this country across formats. Mitchell is so good against spin that he ranks among the highest six-hitters against slow bowling.

In Rajkot, Mitchell took a liking to Kuldeep Yadav, neutralising India’s spin trump card – the match-up read 44 runs off 37 balls. It made the chase easy for the Kiwis. Mitchell has always preferred to go on the offensive against Kuldeep. He hits through the line pushing on the backfoot the bowler who is already in a quandary by the reach of the batters while sweeping. Mitchell used that template to great effect against Kuldeep at the Niranjan Shah stadium.

The one chance he offered after being foxed by Kuldeep, he was grassed by Prasidh Krishna at long-on. In the same over, Jadeja missed a direct hit that let Young off. That was in the 36th over. With over six-an-over still to get for 15 overs, on another day, two wickets in two overs – Mitchell and Young were in the 80s – would have seen India claw back into the match.

This wasn’t that day. A jaded looking Indian side on the field had nothing left in the tank. By the time Mitchell celebrated his hundred in the 41st over, it had begun to look all but certain that his ton and not Rahul’s unbeaten 112 would prove to be in a winning cause.

Usually, Rajkot and runs go in tandem. It was different on Wednesday. The pacers found their slower ones holding to the surface in the day after the Kiwis chose to bowl. The spinners remained in the game while the sun beat down on the surface. Under lights, the ball seamed significantly in the Powerplay.

Harshit Rana made the most of it, again running in lion-hearted fashion. With the pitch offering assistance, he was at his best in the early overs. He got one to tail into Devon Conway sharply and it opened up the left-handed opener (16) to knock back off-stump. Soon after, Prasidh Krishna got Henry Nicholls (10). With India maximising their use of pace in the first 15 overs, the match was on the line before the Mitchell-Young 162-run third wicket stand took it away.

For the holiday crowd that came for the sound of bat on ball over kite-flying revelry, a few early hits from Rohit Sharma and some controlled stroke play from Shubman Gill (56) was all they got to applaud in the early exchanges.

Just when they were beginning to find their voice, the slowing pitch began to slow up the run rate after the Powerplay. Before India’s batting heroes came to terms with the growing level of difficulty, they lost wickets in a cluster.

Kristain Clarke, a rising pacer from Te Awamutu won that spell of play. The spinners would further tighten the screws, out-bowling Indian spinners. Skipper Michael Bracewell, Jayden Lennox and Phillips – finger spinners all – conceded only a little over four runs per over in their 23 overs.

Not until KL Rahul (112*- 92b) took charge of the proceedings, anchoring the innings, did India punch back. Rahul’s 73-run fifth wicket stand with Ravindra Jadeja, 57-run sixth wicket stand with Nitish Reddy and the finishing acceleration of 28 off 16 balls with Mohammed Siraj lifted India to 284. Enroute came Rahul’s third ODI hundred.

It proved to be rather inadequate on the day.