Hammering & tons

Indore, January 24

Rohit Sharma scored his first ODI hundred in three years while Shubman Gill continued his fine form with another sublime ton as India completed a series sweep with a 90-run win over New Zealand in the third match of the three-game ODI series here today.

Batters from both sides lit up the dead rubber as 680 runs were scored at the batting-friendly Holkar Stadium. Sharma (101 off 85 balls) got to the three-figure mark for the first time since January 2020, while Gill (112 off 78) scored his fourth ODI hundred to take India to 385/9.

Following two losses, New Zealand’s top-order put up a much better show. Devon Conway (138) stitched crucial partnerships but Shardul Thakur (3/45) and Kuldeep Yadav (3/62) struck regularly to bowl out the Black Caps for 295 in 41.2 overs.

It was India’s second consecutive series sweep, having beaten Sri Lanka last week.

After Hardik Pandya (1/37) got rid of Finn Allen (0), Conway shared 106 runs with Henry Nicholls and 78 runs with Daryl Mitchell (24).

In the absence of Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj, the Indian bowlers struggled initially, leaking runs as Conway tonked the ball all around the park. Thakur, however, managed to turn the game around as he took back-to-back wickets of Mitchell and Tom Latham (0) in the 26th over.

In his next over, Thakur sent Glenn Phillips (5) packing with a cross-seamed delivery.

Umran Malik (1/52) then got Conway as the centurion pulled awkwardly and Sharma did the rest at midwicket, and the match slipped out of New Zealand’s grasp.

The spin duo of Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal (2/43) then cleaned up the tail.

Earlier, Sharma and Gill put up a belligerent 212-run opening stand, sharing 22 fours and 11 sixes between them.

“20th century means a lot to me, it was important to play long and take the team to a good total,” Sharma said at the post-match presentation.

The India skipper also had words of appreciation for Gill, who amassed 360 runs in three matches, including two centuries.

“His (Gill’s) approach is quite similar. He starts afresh. As a young player that is important. He can easily sit on top of his laurels and take it easy, but he doesn’t,” Sharma said. — PTI

Scoreboard

India 385

R Sharma b Bracewell 101

S Gill c Conway b Tickner 112

V Kohli c Allen b Duffy 36

I Kishan run out (Nicholls) 17

S Yadav c Conway b Duffy 14

H Pandya c Conway b Duffy 54

W Sundar c Mitchell b Tickner 9

S Thakur c Latham b Tickner 25

K Yadav run out (Latham/Ferguson) 3

U Malik not out 2

Extras: (b 5, lb 1, w 6) 12

Total: (9 wickets, 50 overs) 385

FOW: 1-212, 2-230, 3-268, 4-284, 5-293, 6-313, 7-367, 8-379, 9-385

Bowling O M R W

Jacob Duffy 10 0 100 3

Lockie Ferguson 10 1 53 0

Blair Tickner 10 0 76 3

Mitchell Santner 10 0 58 0

Daryl Mitchell 4 0 41 0

Michael Bracewell 6 0 51 1

New Zealand 295

F Allen b Pandya 0

D Conway c Sharma b Malik 138

H Nicholls lbw b Yadav 42

D Mitchell c Kishan b Thakur 24

T Latham c Pandya b Thakur 0

G Phillips c Kohli b Thakur 5

M Bracewell st Kishan b Yadav 26

M Santner c Kohli b Chahal 34

L Ferguson c Sharma b Yadav 7

J Duffy lbw b Chahal 0

B Tickner not out 0

Extras: (b 2, lb 5, w 12) 19

Total: (All out, 41.2 overs) 295

FOW: 1-0, 2-106, 3-184, 4-184, 5-200, 6-230, 7-269, 8-279, 9-280, 10-295

Bowling O M R W

Hardik Pandya 6 0 37 1

Washington Sundar 6 0 49 0

Shardul Thakur 6 0 45 3

Umran Malik 7 0 52 1

Kuldeep Yadav 9 0 62 3

Yuzvendra Chahal 7.2 0 43 2

Player of the Match Shardul Thakur

Player of the Series Shubman Gill