New Zealand came out all guns blazing, producing a commanding all-round performance to defeat India by seven wickets in the second ODI on Wednesday in Rajkot to level the three-match series 1–1. Riding on the sublime century from Daryl Mitchell and an impressive 87 from Will Young, New Zealand orchestrated a decisive chase to avoid series defeat. Riding on the sublime century from Daryl Mitchell and an impressive 87 from Will Young, New Zealand orchestrated a decisive chase to leave India frustrated.
Chasing 285 for victory, New Zealand were dealt early blows after losing openers Devon Conway and Henry Nicholls in quick succession. However, Mitchell and Young led the fightback, displaying remarkable temperament to steady the innings and wrest control away from India. Mitchell remained unbeaten on 131 alongside Glenn Phillips, who scored a useful 32 unbeaten.
Earlier India, asked to bat, lost their top-order batters in quick succession, leaving them in a tough situation early on. However, KL Rahul once again rescued India, demonstrating his class under pressure. Rahul (112*) cracked his eighth ODI century, anchoring the innings and preventing India from collapse to propel them to a challenging total of 284. Shubman Gill provided valuable support with a well-made 56.