Mitchell’s Ton Powers New Zealand to Series-Leveling Victory Against India

K.L. Rahul ended his 26-month wait for an ODI century, but it was Daryl Mitchell’s unbeaten 131 and Will Young’s solid 87 that led New Zealand to a comfortable seven-wicket victory in the second ODI of the series. This win kept the three-match series alive, heading into the decisive final game on Sunday.

Mitchell’s eighth ODI century and his 162-run partnership with Young enabled New Zealand to chase down a target of 285 with 15 balls remaining.

When Mitchell came to the crease in the 13th over, Indian pacers had controlled the PowerPlay, applying pressure on the Kiwi batters. Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana effectively targeted the stumps, restricting Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls and hindering their scoring chances until the duo grew impatient.

Mitchell broke the shackles by advancing to hit Kuldeep Yadav for a six in the spinner’s first over, prompting Kuldeep to adopt a flatter trajectory for the remainder of the match. With Ravindra Jadeja unable to make a significant impact, Mitchell and Young steered the innings confidently, making the target appear within reach throughout.

Shortly after Prasidh Krishna dropped Mitchell at long-on, Young was dismissed attempting a big hit off Kuldeep. By then, the damage was done. Glenn Phillips showed composure as Mitchell sealed the victory with his creative shots, even in dewy conditions.

Meanwhile, as Mitchell and Young were in command, Rahul struggled to find support. He came to the crease in the 22nd over after a series of soft dismissals. Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill, Shreyas Iyer, and Virat Kohli all departed in quick succession, unable to build partnerships.

Ravindra Jadeja managed to stabilize the innings with Rahul but struggled with both boundaries and rotating the strike. After Jadeja’s dismissal gave captain Michael Bracewell a simple return catch, Rahul began to accelerate.

Reaching his fifty towards the end of the second PowerPlay, Rahul unleashed his aggression in the last 10 overs, scoring 60 off 39 balls, contributing to India’s 85-run surge in the final overs. His attack on debutant spinner Jayden Lennox and the pacers, especially his six that completed his first ODI century since the 2023 World Cup, thrilled spectators.

Rahul celebrated his century with a gesture dedicated to his 10-month-old daughter, but Mitchell and Young ensured that the Indian side had little else to cheer by the end of the match.