IND vs NZ

Michael Bracewell collects the ODI trophy from BCCI President Mithun Manhas and off he goes to his teammates for the celebrations in front of the WINNERS hoarding. A histroric 3-0 clean sweep in tests around 15 months back and then this first-ever 2-1 ODI series win on Indian soil, both of which will go down in the history books in Kiwi cricket. However, time stops for no one as now both India and New Zealand will turn their attentions to the shortest format for there is a World Cup starting in three weeks' time. Before that, there is a 5-match series will take place starting on Wednesday (Jan 21) between both the teams where we will see lots of different faces in both the camps. Will the result be different? One thing is for sure that now no one will be labeling New Zealand as the underdogs. Time for us to take your leave as well. This is Sourabh Agrawal signing off on behalf of Bidipto Datta and the entire team, see you soons!

Michael Bracewell (New Zealand captain): "It's always a pleasure coming here and even more special, to win this series! You're always hopeful of doing well, but the way we stuck to things and kept going strong, to get to this position. We try to execute things as a group, that's how we, the Kiwis operate, and success does get tasted that way. (On Daryl Mitchell) He has been amazing for us in the one-day format! He is a pretty humble guy, so, the watch him do so well is extremely special! All three of the debutants have performed here, and that's only good news for New Zealand cricket! (On whether the calf injury will affect his participation in the upcoming T20 World Cup) I should be good for the T20 World Cup, hopefully!" 

Daryl Mitchell is the Player of the Match as well as the Player of the Series, 137 runs in 131 balls tonight and 352 runs in the 3 games in the series, here are his words:

"It is really nice to contribute to the team and to win here in India is very special to the group. (On what stood out to him the most) As a group, with the bat the way we build partnerships, with Young to start and then GP (Glenn Phillips) comes in and does what he does, it is really special. It is nice to be there with your mates and getting stuck into moments, nice to get across the line. (Is this the best he has played?) I'm just trying to concentrate on being reallyu present, trying to watch the ball and repeat that over and over again, hopefully make some good decisions along the way. Nice to have some success. GP is a good mate, it is awesome to see him get a hundred as well. Partnerships are something we pride ourselves on as a group, to do that with GP who has been out with an injure for a while is special. (Does he ever pat himself on his back for his stellar ODI numbers?) I love playing for my country, it took a little while to get there. Domestic cricket allowed me to learn about my game over all those years and work how I want to go about it once I got the silver fern on my chest. Proud to be a part of this group."

Shubman Gill (India captain): "After the first match, coming here, 1-all, the way we played, I am a bit disappointed. I won't say that we are concerned, but  there are areas that we need to look at and improve on. The way Virat (Kohli) bhai is batting, and the way Harshit (Rana) at number 8, that's helping! Giving the World Cup in mind, we want to give Nitish (Kumar Reddy) opportunities. Also, we want to find out what is his strongest suit here." 

9:46 PM local time and IST: It's time for the post-match presentation. Let's find out what the captains have to say about the series and so also, both the Player of the Match and the Player of the Series. 

Jayden Lennox (2/42 off 10 overs): "Really special to win this series, really special for me! I don't think that I've overcomplicated things, I've played a lot on those small grounds back home, so, I tried to keep it simple. I tried to stay out of the step-hit on the shorter sides, and also did not allow the batters to get underneath. I think it's about 20,000 people right into you, but, I love to be part of such a wonderful setting! It just shows the depth of New Zealand cricket, that such a squad turns up here and win such a good series!" 

9:26 PM local time and IST: MATCH SUMMARY

New Zealand (337/8 in 50 overs) beat India (296 all-out in 46 overs) by 41 runs and clinch the ODI series 2-1

Daryl Mithcell 137(131) | Kristian Clarke 3/54(9)
Virat Kohli 124(108) | Arshdeep Singh 3/63(10)

How fitting is that the series ends with a direct hit from Glenn Phillips catching the batter short, the same way how this inexperienced New Zealand has caught this star-studded Indian side short in their own den. New Zealand have come down to the Indian shores again and yet again have conquered glory, no one even gave them the slightest of chances before the series began but here they are ending up as eventual winners and dare I say much desrvingly. NZ win their first ever ODI series in India!

India were caught on their heels, this should go down as one the biggest results in recent times in cricket. Yes, there was a clean sweep in tests to which nothing will get close to, 3-0 not a long while back in the same country for the Kiwis which South Africans copied as well a few months back but this is another huge, huge blow to this proud Indian heritage. The entire New Zealand squad did not have as many runs in their ODI careers as a single Virat Kohli had, leave alone the caps. The debutants, the likes of Lennox, Clarke have performed like seasoned pros. Who would say that they had not even been on these shores ever before?

And of course, Daryl Mitchell. He has had a series straight out of the world of dreams. 84, 131* and 137 in the three ODIs taking his tally to a mammoth 352 runs in the 3-match series at an average of 126, making it the second highest aggregate ever by a batter in a 3-match ODI series only bettered by Babar Azam's and Shubman Gill's 360. If that was not it, he had to captain his national side in the final game on the field as Bracewell could not take the field due to a left calf injury, a job that he had never ever done and he came up trumps there as well.

Yes indeed, we will get to the run chase. And yes there is one man who always comes up whenever there is a run chase. Tonight as well, as long as that man was out there, NZ could not breathe easy. Virat Kohli got his 54th ODI century tonight, his 85th in international cricket but the fact that he could not take his side over the finish line is a thing which would pinch him, rarely does that happen.

It looked like India were down and out as everyone around Kohli fell, India were reduced to 71/4 in the 13th over in this tall run chase but Kohli held fort. Nitish Kumar Reddy joined Kohli and the duo reignited the hopes, put on 88 runs for the fifth wicket as Nitish scored his maiden ODI fifty but just as the ship neared safer waters, Nitish was dismissed and the scoreboard read 159/5.

Jadeja could not contribute and the scorecard quickly became 178/6 but once again Kohli held fort. With 160 more to win and just the bowlers by his side, Kohli found an able ally in Harshit Rana who started off with some nerves but then hit the ball as hard as it could be hit, got to a sprakling maiden ODI fifty himself and gave NZ a hard time. Once again, a wicket fell at the wrong time for India and the right time for NZ as the partnership was broken on 99 off 69 as Rana was dismissed. Kohli still held the fort, tried to smash a few big ones, the great man did turn the clock back with some jaw-dropping shots but then eventually fell short and then the writing was on the wall as Kohli fell on 124.

Just like that, India have lost for the first time in 8 ODIs in Indore and now there are going to be a plethora of questions to be answered

45.6 Zakary Foulkes to Arshdeep Singh, OH WELL! THAT IS THE SERIES TO NEW ZEALAND! IT'S A RUN OUT OF THE HIGHEST ORDER TO SEAL IT! Good length and on middle-stump. Defended from the back foot to the covers. A direct-hit from Phillips at the striker's end, but then the ricochet to the deep square area that gives away two runs in the end! But wait, the check on the direct hit shows that Kuldeep was short of his crease when the ball hit the stumps and the bails lit up! 

New Zealand pick up another famous series win on Indian soil, this time, in the ODI format! Take a bow! 

45.5 Kristian Clarke to Arshdeep Singh, FOUR! Back of a length and around off. Guided away off the back foot to the left of third man for a boundary. 

That should be the end of the game as well as the series for India, Kohli walks off to a grand reception but as soon as he leaves the ground there is a complete shush. End of yet another masterful innings from the master of the chase, the master of the ODI format, this one will most likely be in vain though

45.4 Kristian CLarke to Virat Kohli, OUT! Pitched up in the slot around off-stump. Kohli went for the big shot from the front foot, but miscued it. Long-off settled under it, and took the catch calmly! 

45.3 Kristian Clarke to Virat Kohli, back of a length and slow around off. A flat-batted nudged by arching back, off the back foot, but short third gets around to his left to stop it.

45.2 Kristian Clarke to Virat Kohli, FOUR RUNS! Into the pitch and a bit slow on middle-and-leg. Pulled away off the back foot with the roll of the wrists, for a boundary to deep backward square. 

45.1 Kristian Clarke to Virat Kohli, SHOULD BE FOUR! YES IT IS! Good length on off-and-middle. Dragged around, forcefully, to the right of deep mid-wicket. A good effort from Phillips, but, to no avail! Philips makes the four signal himself