The victory was anchored by a brilliant unbeaten 131 from Daryl Mitchell, earning him the Player of the Match award.
India had posted a competitive total of 284/7 in their 50 overs after electing to bat. KL Rahul top-scored with a classy 112 off 92 balls, supported by Shubman Gill’s 56 and Ravindra Jadeja’s 27.
However, India’s innings lost momentum at key stages, with regular wickets falling to Kristian Clarke (3/56) and a disciplined New Zealand attack that included contributions from Kyle Jamieson, Zak Foulkes, Jayden Lennox, and Michael Bracewell.
In reply, New Zealand’s chase was steadied by Will Young, who made 87 off 98 balls, before Mitchell took over to accelerate the innings. Despite early setbacks, losing Devon Conway (16) and Henry Nicholls (10, Mitchell’s composed knock and support from Glenn Phillips (32 not out) guided New Zealand to victory in 47.3 overs.
India’s bowlers showed glimpses of control, with Mohammed Siraj taking nine overs for 41 runs, while Harshit Rana and Prasidh Krishna chipped in with a wicket apiece. However, they were unable to contain Mitchell’s dominance in the middle overs.
