Punjab Newsline,Sports:
All eyes on Indore as Rohit, Kohli, Gill, Rahul and Mitchell take centre stage
In the second ODI played at Rajkot, despite a brilliant century from KL Rahul, India suffered a seven-wicket defeat at the hands of New Zealand, allowing the visitors to level the series 1-1. Now, attention shifts to Indore’s Holkar Stadium, where both teams will clash in the decisive third ODI. The match is set to be crucial not only for the series result but also for several individual milestones.
For senior Indian players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, this will be their final international appearance until the next ODI assignment in July. Rohit Sharma is just 17 runs away from becoming the seventh opener in international cricket to complete 16,000 runs. Meanwhile, Virat Kohli has recently reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s ODI rankings. He has scored fifty-plus runs at 24 different Indian venues in ODIs, but Indore remains one of the four grounds where he is yet to register a half-century.
KL Rahul once again proved his value under pressure in the second ODI, scoring an unbeaten 112 off 92 balls to guide India to a respectable total after early setbacks. Rahul’s record against New Zealand has continued to improve, with 469 runs in 10 innings at an impressive average of 93.8, including one half-century and two centuries. He will be keen to deliver another match-winning performance in the series decider.
For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell continues to be a major threat to India. He has scored three centuries in his last four ODI innings against India in India, crossing the 130-run mark each time. Captain Shubman Gill is also closing in on a major milestone, needing just 70 more runs to complete 3,000 ODI runs. Gill has scored centuries in both matches he has played at Holkar Stadium and will look to maintain that impressive record.
India boast a perfect record at Indore, having won all seven ODIs played at the venue. New Zealand, however, are just one win away from securing their first-ever bilateral ODI series victory in India. With history, records and pride at stake, the series finale promises to be a high-intensity and thrilling contest.