Confident India and resilient New Zealand head into series decider with milestones in mind

Rajkot witnessed the class of KL Rahul, but improved bowling and the might of Daryl Mitchell gave New Zealand the last laugh as the visitors outclassed India to clinch a seven-wicket win and level the series II.

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All eyes now turn to Indore, as India and New Zealand battle it out in the series decider.Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be in international action for one final time until the next ODI assignment in July. The opening batter is 17 runs away from becoming the 7th opener with 16000 international runs.

Meanwhile, Kohli reclaimed the top spot in the ICC men’s ODI rankings and has scored at least one 50+ in 94 different Indian venues in the format. But Indore remains one of four venues where he's yet to hit a fifty.

Rahul came to India’s rescue with another outstanding performance, scoring an exhilarating 112 not out off 92 balls to help his team reach a respectable total as the rest struggled. His performance against the Kiwis continues to improve, with 469 runs in IO innings at an average of 93.8, including a half-century and two centuries. He will aim to make another significant contribution when the teams face off on Sunday.

Run-machine Daryl Mitchell keeps challenging the Men in Blue. He has scored three centuries in his last four ODI innings against India in India, reaching over 130 runs each time. The 34-year-old aims to fire up his performance again to help secure a notable series victory.

India have an undefeated record at Indore, winning all seven ODIs played there. In their most recent matches in 2023, they scored 399/5 versus Australia and 385/9 against New Zealand.