Daryl Mitchell 131* forces series decider in Indore

Daryl Mitchell 131* forces series decider in Indore

Daryl Mitchell led a clinical chase with an unbeaten 131 as New Zealand defeated India by seven wickets to level the three-match ODI series and force a decider in Indore. KL Rahul's 112* had earlier helped India recover to post 284/7.

New Zealand's chase began shakily, losing Devon Conway (16) and Henry Nicholls (10) early to be 46/2. However, a defiant 162-run third-wicket partnership between Daryl Mitchell and Will Young (87) completely shifted the momentum.

While Young played a composed 87 off 98 balls, Mitchell was the aggressor. He survived a run-out scare on 80 and a dropped catch the next ball. He brought up his eighth ODI century off just 96 deliveries and finished unbeaten on 131 off 117 balls, sealing the win with a ramp shot for four. Glenn Phillips provided a brisk, unbeaten 32 off 25 as New Zealand reached 286/3 with 15 balls to spare, marking their highest-ever successful ODI chase against India in India.

Earlier, India's innings was anchored by KL Rahul. After a cautious start, Shubman Gill's fluent 56 off 53 balls provided a foundation. However, a middle-order collapse saw India slump to 118/4, with Kristian Clarke (3/56) taking key wickets.

Rahul, batting at No. 5, steadied the innings with Ravindra Jadeja (27) before accelerating dramatically. He raced to his eighth ODI century off 87 balls, helping India plunder 85 runs from the final ten overs to reach a competitive total.

Brief scores:
India 284/7 in 50 overs (KL Rahul 112*, Shubman Gill 56; Kristian Clarke 3-56) lost to New Zealand 286/3 in 47.3 overs (Daryl Mitchell 131*, Will Young 87) by 7 wickets.