India Edge New Zealand by Four Wickets in Vadodara ODI; Kohli-Gill Dominate, While KL Rahul & Harshit Rana’s Late Rally Secures 1-0 Series Lead

The Indian cricket team, led by Shubman Gill, secured a nail-biting victory in the first ODI match against New Zealand. At the BCA Stadium in Kotambi, Vadodara, Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill were the primary aggressors. But KL Rahul and Harshit Rana's late rescue helped the Men in Blue secure a 1-0 lead in the three-match ODI series.

New Zealand Set Up 301-Run Target For India In Vadodara

New Zealand started things with a lot of confidence as openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls gained a firm footing against the Indian bowlers.

The Kiwi openers put up a 117-run stand, settling a strong foundation. Daryl Mitchell further carried the innings as the primary aggressor, scoring 84 off 71 balls.

Will Young and Glenn Phillips followed in and put up 12 runs each before the Indian bowling unit gained the momentum in the competition.

Indian fast bowlers Mohammed Siraj, Harshit Rana, and Prasidh Krishna picked up two wickets apiece and delivered an impressive outing with the ball. Off-spinner Kuldeep Yadav also added a scalp, while Shreyas Iyer's gun-like fielding helped India secure the run-out dismissal of skipper Michael Bracewell.

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Debutant Kristian Clarke put up an unbeaten 28, and the Blackcaps eventually posted 300 runs for the loss of eight wickets, leaving India with a target of 301 runs to win.

India's Chase Becomes A Nail-Biter, Hosts Clinch 1-0 Lead With Four-Wicket Win

India began the chase decently with Rohit Sharma and captain Shubman Gill gradually pushing the accelerator pedal. The former India captain scored 26 off 29 before being dismissed. Gill, on the other hand, looked in good touch as the skipper provided a fine 71-ball 56.

Virat Kohli stood out as the primary aggressor in the competition, scoring 93 off 91 balls. The India ODI star looked in supreme form with his shot selections and found the gap just in time for boundaries.

However, the chasemaster fell seven runs short of a well-deserved hundred after being caught out by Kyle Jamieson. Shreyas Iyer fell just one run short of a half-century but delivered a brilliant comeback in the one-day format for India.

The momentum pivoted towards New Zealand after the fall of Ravindra Jadeja at four. Wicketkeeper-batter KL Rahul and seamer Harshit Rana tried to stabilise things in the middle order. The duo almost lost their wickets due to miscommunication between the wickets.

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Harshit Rana's 29 off 23 had kept up India's hopes until his dismissal, leading to the entry of an injured Washington Sundar. The Kiwi bowlers weren't allowing India to go big, but they also made some key errors, like dropped catches and missed run-out chances.

The match entered a thrilling phase with fans glued to their seats at the BCA Stadium. KL Rahul capped off the show with two consecutive boundaries and a six, helping India seal a 1-0 lead in the series.