India Beat New Zealand, But Not Easily…

The first ODI of the ongoing series between India and New Zealand turned out in favour of the host nation, as India registered a win against the visitors.

However, this victory was not a straightforward one, as New Zealand put up a strong fight with both bat and ball. This is evident from the fact that New Zealand batted first and posted a moderate target of 300 runs.

This was followed by a comprehensive chase by India, largely thanks to Virat Kohli, who has a reputation for setting India up for historic run chases.

But the fact is that Kohli, who got out on 93, created ripples in the chase. India went on to lose another four wickets for just 45 runs and ended up taking the game into the 49th over, which looked unnecessary while Kohli was batting.

Had it not been for Kohli’s well-compiled innings, India would have been in big trouble in this game as well. Such dependence on a soon-to-retire player like Kohli is not what is expected from a top team like India, but that is sadly the case as of now.