On Sunday, January 18, New Zealand defeated India by 41 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium in Indore in the third and final one-day international of the three-match series. With the 2-1 triumph, the Black Caps won their first bilateral men’s ODI series on Indian soil.
After being invited to bat first, New Zealand trailed 5/2 after 1.1 overs. Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips saved their side with magnificent centuries.
Mitchell maintained his impressive run on the tour, scoring back-to-back tons. While he scored 137 off 131 balls, Phillips added 106 off 86 deliveries.
Their batting heroics guided the visitors to 337/8 in their 50 overs. Men in Blue’s pacer Arshdeep Singh and Harshit Rana scalped three wickets each.
Virat Kohli was brilliant with the bat in run chase, as he struck 54th ODI ton. The veteran batsman’s 124 off 108 balls was put together in a losing cause.
He was complemented by all-rounder Nitish Reddy (53 off 57) and Rana (52 off 43). But it was not enough, as the team was eventually bowled out for 296 in 46 overs.
Kristian Clarke and Zakary Foulkes each claimed three wickets. Mitchell was later judged ’Player of the Match’. He also received the Player of the Series award for scoring 352 runs from three innings.
Here, we look at three moments from the game that caused attention among the fans:
1. Virat Kohli pushes Daryl Mitchell out of the ground in jest after New Zealand’s star batters’ stupendous knock
Daryl Mitchell was a thorn in India’s flesh in the ODI series. He also contributed 84 from 71 balls in his side’s first-match, four-wicket loss.
New Zealand eventually fought back by taking the next game with a seven wicket win. Mitchell was man of the match with an undefeated 131 off 117 balls.
BIG WICKET, BIG SHIFT! 💥
Siraj removes Mitchell and swings the momentum back in India’s favour. The Indore crowd loves it! 😍#INDvNZ | 3rd ODI | LIVE NOW 👉 https://t.co/CixSjUFkhU pic.twitter.com/oQY2SucFsb
— Star Sports (@StarSportsIndia) January 18, 2026In the must win final, right handed bat continued to haunt Indian bowlers, slammed yet another ton. He was caught at backward square-leg off a Mohammed Siraj delivery in the 45th over.
And then, as Mitchell made his way back to the pavilion, there was captain Virat Kohli playfully pushing the all-rounder beyond the boundary rope.
2. Will Young dismissed after sharp catch by Ravindra Jadeja
Young looked good for his 30 off 41 balls before he became Harshit Rana’s first victim in 13th over. The pacer bowled a short delivery outside the off stump.
The New Zealand batsman goes for the cut shot and it appeared that he sweetly timed the ball. But, Ravindra Jadeja came up with a piece of brilliance at the backward point as he dived towards right to grab a sensational catch.
Here’s a video of the catch:
https://www.bcci.tv/bccilink/videos/XxIdhGJl3. Indigenous Kyle Jamieson wrong’uns Indian captain Shubman Gill with a peach
Shubman Gill went into the third ODI on the back of two half-centuries in as many matches. This time, he a solid start before failing to convert his innings and was out after making 23 off 18.
The breakthrough came in the seventh over from Kyle Jamieson. He pitched one up around off. Gill went to try and block the ball.
But he was done in by the nip-backer, and the ball via a faint inside edge brushed his front pad and shattered onto the stumps. Here’s the video of the wicket.
https://www.bcci.tv/bccilink/videos/oaYSup88Both teams will now face off in a five-match T20I series starting January 21 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association Stadium, Nagpur.
