In a thrilling encounter at HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala, India maintained their impressive form with a four-wicket victory over New Zealand in the 21st match of the ICC World Cup on Sunday. This crucial win establishes India as the only unbeaten team in the 2023 World Cup.
While chasing the target of 274 runs, Rohit Sharma provided a scintillating start, propelling India to 63-0 within the first 10 overs. Although Rohit Sharma fell short of completing his half-century, being dismissed for 46 runs by Lockie Ferguson, his rapid start ensured India stayed ahead of the required run rate.
In their innings, New Zealand faced early setbacks, losing two wickets for just 19 runs. However, a resilient 159-run partnership between Rachin Ravindra and Daryl Mitchell revived the Black Caps’ innings. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Mitchell’s remarkable performance, scoring 130 runs off 127 balls, propelled New Zealand to a competitive total of 273 runs.
Rohit’s explosive performance set the stage for his teammates to build partnerships and adapt to the situation. Virat Kohli, accompanied by KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja, played pivotal roles in securing India’s fifth World Cup victory. Kohli displayed his skill with an impressive 95 runs, well supported by Jadeja in a 78-run partnership.
Most of the Indian batsmen delivered notable performances, with the exception of Suryakumar Yadav, who was unfortunate to be run out after scoring just two runs.
India’s Mohammad Shami emerged as the star bowler, securing a five-wicket haul (5-54) in his first match of the World Cup.
