NEW DELHI: Chase master Virat Kohli once again rose to the occasion with a fighting half-century in the third ODI between India and New Zealand. Chasing a massive target of 338 runs, Kohli stood tall when wickets kept falling at the other end and pressure continued to mount.

Batting at number three, Kohli showed calm and control from the moment he walked in. He began with crisp drives and rotated the strike smartly.

Another Milestone for the Chase Master

Kohli brought up his half-century in just 51 balls. His knock included four fours and a six and was scored at a healthy pace. This was his eighth 50-plus score in his last nine List A innings, highlighting the consistency that has defined his career.

With this innings, Kohli also reached another landmark against New Zealand. He now has 17 fifty-plus scores against the Black Caps in ODIs, moving closer to the top of the list.

Most 50-plus scores vs New Zealand in ODIs

  • Ricky Ponting – 18 (50 innings)
  • Virat Kohli – 17 (36 innings)*
  • Dean Jones – 14 (27 innings)
  • Kumar Sangakkara – 14 (45 innings)

India’s Chase Hits Trouble

India had started the chase on a steady note before things began to unravel. Rohit Sharma was the first to depart, once again falling cheaply and extending his lean patch. Skipper Shubman Gill followed soon after, undone by a brilliant delivery from Kyle Jamieson.

The pressure increased when Shreyas Iyer tried to go big and lost his wicket. Soon after, KL Rahul was dismissed for just one run, chipping the ball straight to a fielder after mistiming his stroke.

Despite the collapse, India stayed in the contest as Kohli found support in Nitish Reddy. The pair put together a solid partnership that has already crossed 60 runs. With both batters settled, India will still believe they can push towards a challenging yet possible chase.