New Zealand went down fighting in a terrific game of cricket in Vadodara as India held their nerves in the chase of 301 to win by 4 wickets and an over to spare. New Zealand had their moments throughout the game and pushed India hard despite bringing a second string side and could have won the contest had they done the little things better. There were a few aspects they did not do well and would like to improve on that with two ODIs to go. We will give you three reasons for their loss in first ODI.
Inability to accelerate harder costs New Zealand extra 15-20 runs in the first innings
New Zealand were put into bat first on a two-paced surface and did well to apply themselves and put a good total on the board. But one feels they could have gone harder and got those extra 15-20 runs which they needed considering batting under lights was slightly easier and dew can always play a factor here. The openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls laid the foundation but went maybe if we are hypocritical a tad slow initially.
But they did their job and laid the foundation for the middle order to drive home the advantage. There was a brief phase in the middle overs especially between overs 25-50 that India came back with a flurry of wickets. Will Young got into double figures and got in but got out. Glenn Phillips came and got a start but could not capitalise on the start and got dismissed. Daryl Mitchell did his bit and played a fantastic innings but he could have got support from the other end.
After 40 overs, New Zealand were 212/5 and did well to get to 300 but the finish also was all on Mitchell with Kristian Clarke chipping in while the likes of Michael Bracewell and Zak Foulkes missed out with the bat. 300/8 was a par score but not necessarily a winning score. Going forward, New Zealand would like to drive home the advantage and finish the job which will give them the cushion to defend the score. Credit for the fight they showed, but it was not quite enough in the end.
Multiple dropped catches and a few misfields pushes New Zealand on the back foot
Much like India in the first innings, New Zealand were sloppy on the field as well and that really came back to haunt them at the end of the game. The game is a battle of small margins and if you drop catches, you are going to pay for it. Firstly, captain Shubman Gill when on 10 was dropped and he made New Zealand pay by scoring a half-century as he made a useful 56 to get his rhythm back. Not only were the runs important, but the partnership he had with Kohli took the game away from the Kiwis.
There were a lot of misfields by New Zealand as they gave away overthrows. But the big moment came towards the backend of the game. New Zealand roared back to come back into the contest and had India under pressure. Harshit Rana and KL Rahul were at the crease and both were getting set. Rana then miscued and lofted the ball up in the air. Daryl Mitchell at long-on settled underneath it and made a meal of it as he dropped the catch. This proved costly as Rana hit a boundary and a six after that and added around 15 more runs from that event and created the partnership with Rahul. This could have made a huge difference to the result of the match.
New Zealand dropped another when Adithya Ashok dropped a tough catch at short fine leg as Washington Sundar got a life. New Zealand’s ground fielding was good, but catching left a lot to be desired. As the old saying goes, catches win matches and New Zealand will look to sharpen their fielding before the next game and these are things under your control and New Zealand will look to bounce back in the next game.
Inability to stop Virat Kohli seals New Zealand’s fate
Virat Kohli is a champion cricketer and we all know that. He came out all guns blazing in the chase after Rohit Sharma left the field. He took the pressure off Gill and kept the required rate under check. This was Kohli redefined and he took all the bowlers to the cleaners. New Zealand it seemed did not have the right plans and whatever they did, Kohli had all the answers ready for everyone.
He blazed away and made Gill comfortable which meant the partnership was over 100 runs between the two. New Zealand ran short of ideas and lacked the skills to stop him. Kohli had all the answers to the New Zealand bowling plan and we must also keep in mind that the bowling was largely inexperienced and got found out a little bit. Kohli controlled the chase from start to finish as the lines and lengths of balls were all over the place. Kohli got out which opened the door for New Zealand, but the damage was already done as India scraped past the finishing line.
Going forward, New Zealand needs to have better plans against Kohli and other Indian batters in order to be successful in this series. They need to bowl the right lines and lengths and bowl with more discipline. It is a young side we must not forget and will only learn with time going forward. But for them to win a game, New Zealand needs to get rid of Virat Kohli early and have better plans against him as well.
What Lies Ahead
So, India are 1-0 up in this 3-match ODI series. The next ODI will take place at the Niranjan Shah Cricket Stadium in Rajkot on Wednesday 14th January, 2026 from 1:30 PM IST onwards. India will aim to seal the series in the second game itself while New Zealand will aim to level things up after taking a lot of positives away from this game. One thing is for certain, we will be in for a another thrilling game and another high-scorer as well.
Let’s see how things pan out in Rajkot on Wednesday.
Also Read:Â IND vs NZ: Virat Kohli Helps India Draw First Blood With Nervy Win