NZ VS IND: Will Young’s 5th ODI Ton Crushes India.

Will Young rode his luck with two dropped chances early on before producing a batting masterclass to score his 5th ODI ton scoring 125 runs off 108 balls. The others like Tim Seifert and Finn Allen played all around him with Seifert scoring a half-century while Finn Allen scored 41 quick runs as well. It was hard work for the Indian bowlers with Axar Patel standing out with 2/39 in 10 overs. The others went a bit in good batting conditions and this game is nicely poised now.

Tim Seifert’s whirlwind half-century gives New Zealand a rollicking start in the first power play. 

Put into bat first, Will Young and Tim Seifert came out to open the batting for New Zealand while Arshdeep Singh had the ball in hand for India. Will Young was off and running with a punch past point and cover for the first boundary of the match. Auqib Nabi shared the new ball from the other end. Seifert drove the ball down the ground past mid-on for a boundary. Nabi overstepped as the free hit went over deep fine leg for the maximum.

Young got reprieves when he was on 5* when Rohit Sharma dropped him at first slip and then again got the edge and this time Ishan Kishan dropped him with the gloves on. Arshdeep continued as Seifert slapped it over covers for a boundary. Nabi continued as Young slashed the ball past covers for a boundary. Arshdeep continued and bowled a decent over. Nabi continued and bowled a decent over as well.

Gurnoor Brar came into the attack next. Seifert took him on by clearing his front leg and launched it over Brar for the maximum. Seifert then punched it behind square for a boundary at deep third man and then pulled the ball over midwicket for a boundary. Arshdeep continued as the 50 came up for New Zealand in 7.5 overs. Nabi changed ends as Seifert took him on as he backed away to launch it over wide long-off for the maximum. Then Seifert got on top of the bounce and swivel pulled the ball past midwicket for a boundary.

Young got into the act as he stood tall and punched it through covers for a boundary. Arshdeep continued to bowl the last over of the mandatory power play as he conceded 4 leg byes as a bonus to the batting side. Seifert reached his fifty in 39 balls, his first in ODI cricket. New Zealand reached 72/0 in 10 overs after the power play with Seifert unbeaten on 51 off 42 balls alongside Young unbeaten on 16 off 19 balls as we entered the middle phase of the game.

India hit back with a few wickets while Will Young keeps New Zealand steady till the halfway stage of the innings. 

Axar Patel came into the attack post the power play as Seifert welcomed him with a tickle past short fine leg for a boundary. Axar came back and kept things under check after that. Gurnoor Brar came back into the attack as Young rode the bounce and dabbed it to deep backward point for a boundary. Brar drew first blood for India as he dismissed Seifert for 58 off 48 balls with 6 fours and 3 sixes to his name as Ishan took a good catch running around. Nick Kelly came out to bat next.

Axar continued and bowled a decent tight over. Brar continued as Young took him on and was late on the pull and got the top edge over Kuldeep at deep backward square leg for the maximum. Axar continued and gave India the breakthrough as Kelly threw it away dancing down the track and was easily stumped by Ishan for 4 off 8 balls. Dean Foxcroft came out to bat next. Axar completed a successful over. Brar continued as Young played it late and dragged it towards the body to get a thick inside edge over the stumps and away for a boundary.

The 100 came up for New Zealand in 15.4 overs. New Zealand were 102/2 in 16 overs when we paused for the first Drinks Break of the day and innings. Axar continued after the break and bowled a decent over. Brar continued as Young went back in the crease and smacked it wide of Rohit at midwicket for a boundary. Kuldeep Yadav came into the attack next. Young smashed him down the ground by advancing down the track over the bowler’s head for the maximum over long-on.

Auqib Nabi came back into the attack as Young got to his fifty in 49 balls. He rode his luck for his 13th ODI fifty. Nabi surprised Foxcroft with a short ball bouncer and he pulled it to Brar at deep fine leg who took the catch as Foxcroft fell for 8 off 13 balls. Finn Allen came out to bat next as Nabi completed a successful over. Axar Patel returned to the bowling attack and bowled a tight over. Nabi continued as Allen pulled off the back foot in front of square over square leg for a boundary.

Axar continued as Young was in the zone as he got down on one knee and swept it behind square past vacant backward square leg for a boundary. Allen got into the act as he went on the front foot and lofted it down the ground over long-off for the maximum. Kuldeep came back into the attack as the 150 came up for New Zealand in 23.1 overs. Allen slashed at the ball hard and got the outside edge and got past Rohit at first slip for a boundary.

Axar continued and bowled a tight over as New Zealand were 159/3 in 25 overs at the halfway stage of the game with Young unbeaten on 64 off 67 balls alongside Allen unbeaten on 20 off 15 balls. The match was nicely placed at this stage.

Will Young completes sensational ton while India chip away at the wickets in an exciting phase till the 40th over. 

Kuldeep Yadav continued to bowl the 26th over as Young got down on one knee and swept along the ground behind square for a boundary. Young swept the ball fine to fine leg region for a triple. Allen then went back and lofted the ball behind square for a boundary with a pull behind square and overstepped. The free hit went for the maximum as he cleared his front leg and cleared deep midwicket for the maximum.

Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack next as Young danced down the track and pulled it over midwicket for a boundary. Brar returned to the attack as Young launched him over deep third man for the maximum. Young then cut it behind square over backward point for a boundary. Arshdeep continued as Young went back and pulled it through midwicket for a boundary as the 100 came up for New Zealand in 28.4 overs.

Brar continued as Allen drilled it down the ground for a boundary past mid-on. Allen then threw his hands at it and got the outside edge past vacant slip cordon for a boundary. New Zealand raced to 214/3 in 30 overs when Axar Patel came back into the attack. Axar struck for India and broke the stand as he removed Allen for 41 off 30 balls with 5 fours and 2 sixes to his name as Rohit took a good catch diving away at short extra cover. Michael Bracewell came out to bat next.

Kuldeep returned to the bowling crease as Young reached his 5th ODI hundred off 88 balls and his first ton since February 2025. New Zealand reached 218/4 in 32 overs when we again paused for Drinks, the second and final one of the innings. Axar continued and bowled a quiet over. Kuldeep continued as Young after getting hit on the helmet rocked back and looked to cut it hard and got the edge between the legs of Ishan for a boundary. India wasted a DRS against Young for LBW against Kuldeep as the ball pitched outside the leg stump.

Young reverse swept Kuldeep towards short third man for a boundary. Axar came to bowl his final over and bowled an excellent over to complete his fabulous spell. Kuldeep continued as Young picked it up and danced down the track and went over covers for the maximum. Young again got down on one knee and swept it behind square for a boundary.

Naman Dhir came into the attack next as the 250 came up for New Zealand in 36.2 overs. Bracewell drilled the ball through covers for a boundary. Naman got the breakthrough for India as he removed Will Young for 125 off 108 balls with 14 fours and 4 sixes to his name as Kushagra juggled the ball and eventually took the catch. Captain Mitchell Santner came out to bat next. Gurnoor Brar came back into the attack next. He struck for India as he removed Bracewell for 15 off 20 balls with one four to his name as Naman Dhir ran in and took a good catch diving inches from the ground.

Kristian Clarke came out to bat next. Naman continued as Santner rocked back and punched it between backward point and cover point for a boundary. Brar came to bowl the 40th over of the innings and kept things tight. New Zealand reached 265/6 in 40 overs with Santner unbeaten on 7 off 12 balls while Clarke was unbeaten on 1 off 3 balls as we entered the death overs phase of the game.

India does well in the end overs to keep New Zealand to 333 in 50 overs. 

Naman Dhir continued to bowl the 41st over and conceded 4 byes as a bonus to the batting side. Santner was given a lifeline when Rohit dropped a tough chance diving forward at extra cover. The ball just about carried to him. Brar continued and bowled a quiet over. Naman continued as Santner launched the heave over long-off for the maximum. Santner again went big and hoicked it away down the ground over long-on for the maximum. Kuldeep came back into the attack and bowled a better over.

Arshdeep Singh came back into the attack and got the big fish as Santner fell caught behind for 24 off 29 balls with 1 four and 2 sixes to his name. Kyle Jamieson came out to bat next and got off the mark soon. Kuldeep Yadav continued as Jamieson rocked back in the crease and got the outside edge past Rohit at slip for a boundary at third man. The 300 came up for New Zealand in 45.5 overs.

Arshdeep Singh continued as Clarke pulled it away over midwicket for the maximum. Arshdeep conceded a wide but came back well. Auqib Nabi came to bowl the 48th over as Clarke stepped away in the leg side and got a top edge over fine leg for a boundary. Nabi then came back and got rid of Clarke for 22 off 22 balls with one four and one six to his name LBW. The review was taken in hope and New Zealand burnt that. Matt Henry came out to bat next.

Arshdeep continued and bowled a decent 49th over. Nabi came to bowl the final over of the innings. He conceded a wide first-up. He bowled a decent over as there were run outs in the innings. Henry was run out for 2 off 2 balls by Nabi. Matthew Fisher came out to bat last. He was run out while trying to take the second run as he was short of his ground for 1 off 1 ball. Virat Kohli with the run out throw. Jamieson remained unbeaten on 19 off 21 balls with one four to his name as New Zealand finished with 333 in 50 overs. 14 extras given by India.

It was hard work for the Indian bowlers. Axar Patel was the standout bowler with figures of 2/39 in 10 overs. Gurnoor Brar finished with 2/69 in 10 overs. Auqib Nabi finished with 2/59 in 8 overs. Arshdeep Singh finished with 1/55 in 10 overs. Naman Dhir finished with 1/29 in 4 overs. Kuldeep Yadav finished with 0/73 in 8 overs. This means India’s target will be 334 runs off 50 overs to clinch the series 3-0 with a game to spare.

Who’s Winning, New Zealand or India? 

New Zealand have got the runs on the board. Yes, India have come back well in the back half of the innings. 333 is a very good score. The pitch conditions are decent for both batters and bowlers. The start will be important. India has the batting, but scoreboard pressure will be an issue and could be. Let’s see how the chase shapes up. This can go either way, but we are backing New Zealand to defend the score.

Also Read: NZ vs IND: Suryakumar Yadav Opens Up On His T20I Axe