Virat Kohli hits 95 as India beat New Zealand by 4 wickets at Cricket World Cup
- 22 Oct 2023
It was the Indians’ fifth straight win to open the tournament and they top the table. New Zealand is second after their first loss.
Virat Kohli hit 95 as India chased down its target of 274 to beat New Zealand in a match between the only two unbeaten teams at the Cricket World Cup on Sunday.
Tournament host India won by four wickets after reaching its target with 12 balls left in Dharamsala, finishing on 274-6.
New Zealand was dismissed for 273 in 50 overs.
Kohli came close to tying the record for most ODI hundreds, held by countryman Sachin Tendulkar with 49.
Kohli went for a six to get the record - and clinch the victory - but was caught near the boundary.
It was the Indians’ fifth straight win to open the tournament and they top the table. New Zealand is second after its first loss.
Rohit Sharma called correctly as India won the toss and opted to bowl.
New Zealand has beaten England, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Afghanistan while India has also notched up wins over Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
India’s star all-rounder Hardik Pandya was unavailable for the table-topping clash because of a left ankle injury sustained in its previous game against Bangladesh in Pune. In his place, the hosts chose Suryakumar Yadav. India also brought in pacer Mohammed Shami for bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur.
New Zealand was unchanged from its previous win over Afghanistan in Chennai. Star batsman and skipper Kane Williamson is still unavailable because of a thumb injury, and Latham led the side again in his absence.
Daryl Mitchell hit a sparkling century to guide New Zealand to 273 all out against India in Sunday's top-of-the-table World Cup clash between two unbeaten teams.
New Zealand lost their openers early after being invited to bat first in the Himalayan hill town of Dharamsala but Mitchell (130) and Rachin Ravindra (75) put on 159 to get the innings back on track.
The stand was the highest between the two teams at a World Cup for any wicket as the pair surpassed the previous best of 136 by Sunil Gavaskar and Kris Srikkanth in 1987.
Fast bowler Mohammed Shami helped India pull things back in the final 10 overs as he returned figures of 5-54 in his first appearance at the tournament.
Fellow paceman Mohammed Siraj and Shami took down Devon Conway, for a duck, and Will Young, for 17, as New Zealand slipped to 19-2.
The left-handed Ravindra, who is of Indian origin, departed in the 34th over but Mitchell kept up the charge to raise his fifth ODI ton.
Ravindra, who was dropped on 12 by Ravindra Jadeja off Shami, made the most of the reprieve to reach his third fifty in his 17th ODI. Both Ravindra and Mitchell tackled the Indian spinners with aplomb by using their feet to perfection and Jadeja went wicketless in his 10 overs.
Mitchell, who survived dropped catches on 59 and 69, stood firm despite losing Ravindra and then skipper Tom Latham for five off Kuldeep Yadav, the left-arm wrist spinner who took two wickets
Runs dried up for New Zealand, who also lost Glenn Phillips on 23.
Shami was on a hat-trick averted by Lockie Ferguson but he finally ended Mitchell's marathon knock on the penultimate ball of the innings for his second five-wicket haul in World Cups.
New Zealand lost their final wicket on the last ball of the 50th over with Lockie Ferguson run out.
Agencies
