India beat New Zealand by 4 wickets in first ODI

Dubai: India held their nerve to secure a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the first One-Day International in Vadodara on Sunday.

Chasing a challenging target of 301, India were anchored by Virat Kohli, who once again underlined his class with a composed 93 off 91 balls. The former captain, however, was unfortunate to miss out on a century. Kohli played a pivotal role in the chase, forging two crucial partnerships that turned the game in India’s favour.

After Rohit Sharma’s early dismissal for 26, skipper Shubman Gill joined Kohli in the middle. The duo stitched together an impressive 118-run stand for the second wicket before Gill was dismissed for 56 off 72 deliveries. Kohli then added 77 runs for the third wicket with Shreyas Iyer, who contributed a fluent 49 off 47 balls, before Kohli’s departure triggered a brief wobble in the Indian innings.

A sudden cluster of wickets momentarily pushed India on the back foot, but K L Rahul remained calm under pressure, scoring 29 to guide the hosts safely past the target.

Earlier, New Zealand posted a competitive 300/8, built around a solid top-order effort and a powerful knock from Daryl Mitchell. Openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls laid a strong foundation with a 117-run stand, reaching fifty in 10.1 overs and bringing up the 100-run mark in 19.5 overs. Nicholls was the first to fall after scoring 62 off 69 balls, including eight fours, dismissed by Harshit Rana. Rana struck again soon after to remove Conway, who made 56 off 67 balls with six fours and a six. Will Young was then sent back for 12 by Mohammed Siraj.

The middle order struggled to fully capitalise on the start. Glenn Phillips managed 12 before falling to Kuldeep Yadav, while Mitchell Hay scored 18 before being bowled by Prasidh Krishna. New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell was run out for 16 by vice-captain Shreyas Iyer, and Zak Foulkes departed for 1, giving Siraj his second wicket.

Daryl Mitchell held the innings together with a commanding 84 off 71 balls, laced with five fours and three sixes, before being dismissed late by Prasidh Krishna. Kristian Clarke added valuable late runs, remaining unbeaten on 24 off 17 balls to push New Zealand to the 300-run mark.

For India, Mohammed Siraj (2/40), Harshit Rana (2/65) and Prasidh Krishna (2/60) were the standout bowlers.