A masterclass in power and poise from Daryl Mitchell guided New Zealand to a seven-wicket victory over India in the second ODI at the Niranjan Shah Stadium. Mitchell’s unbeaten 131 off 122 balls rendered KL Rahul’s first ODI century in 26 months a bittersweet milestone, as the Black Caps levelled the three-match series 1-1.
New Zealand's chase began under heavy pressure from India's pace duo of Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana, who reduced the visitors to 46/2. However, the momentum shifted decisively when Daryl Mitchell joined Will Young (87).
Mitchell’s aggression against Kuldeep Yadav was the turning point. By charging the wrist-spinner in his opening over for a massive six, Mitchell forced Kuldeep to bowl flatter and more defensively. The pair shared a 162-run partnership, effectively taking the game away from the hosts. While Young fell shortly before the finish, Glenn Phillips provided steady support to see the Kiwis home.
Earlier in the day, India’s top order struggled on a sluggish, two-paced afternoon track. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, and Virat Kohli were all victims of soft dismissals by the newbie Kristian Clarke and captain Michael Bracewell.
Reeling at 118/4, India relied entirely on KL Rahul. The veteran batter played a lone hand, scoring a gritty 112 off 92 balls. It was his first ODI hundred since the 2023 World Cup, characterized by 11 fours and two sixes. Rahul injected much-needed late momentum, helping India plunder 85 runs in the final 10 overs, but the total of 284 proved insufficient as conditions improved for batting in the evening.
| Statistic | India | New Zealand |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 284/7 (50 overs) | 285/3 (47.3 overs) |
| Top Scorer | KL Rahul (112) | Daryl Mitchell (131*) |
| Top Bowler | Mohammed Siraj (1/38) | Michael Bracewell (1/39) |
| Key Stand | Rahul/Jadeja (73 runs) | Mitchell/Young (162 runs) |
| Series Status | 1-1 | 1-1 |
The match was a classic example of the "day-night" disparity in Indian conditions. During the afternoon, the ball gripped and turned, making stroke-making difficult for India’s middle order. However, as the temperature dipped in Rajkot, the surface lost its sluggishness.
India's inability to extract the same grip in the second innings meant Kuldeep Yadav (0/82) went through his most expensive figures in recent history. Conversely, New Zealand's sweep-heavy tactic (13 sweeps for 23 runs) contrasted with India's solitary reverse-sweep, proving that the Kiwis had done their homework on tackling subcontinental spin.