India vs New Zealand 2016: 5 Talking Points from the 3rd ODI in Mohali

Amidst the glowing evening at the PCA Stadium in Mohali, it seemed like déjà vu all over again with a Virat Kohli master class sealing yet another limited-overs chase for India. The scene was replete with several of his crisp drives and manic running between the wickets that were a hallmark of the impeccable knock against Australia at the World T20 earlier this year at the same venue.

Although New Zealand might have hoped that 285 would help them mount a reasonable defense, the copious amount of dew aggravated their woes even as Kohli put on a game-changing partnership with skipper MS Dhoni to enable India clinch a comfortable victory and take a 2-1 lead in the 5-match series.

Here are some of the major takeaways from the third ODI.

#5 An unlikely spin partnership

Jadhav pegged New Zealand back with his timely strikes in the middle-overs

Over the years, India have had numerous spinners operating in tandem across formats. With their lead spin duo of Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja rested from the ODI series, Amit Mishra would have hoped to form a formidable partnership alongside Axar Patel.

However, Kedar Jadhav sprung a huge surprise by turning out to be quite a revelation with the ball. The part-timer continued to complement Mishra’s guile by delivering key strikes (those of Kane Williamson, Tom Latham and Corey Anderson) in this game which pretty much dented New Zealand’s batting lineup in the middle overs.

#4 – The tail wags again

James Neesham frustrated India by finding an able partner in Matt Henry

During the first ODI, New Zealand were 65/7 at one stage but ended up reaching 190 with Tim Southee scoring a half-century. They had collapsed to 199/8 at Mohali which meant that the Indian bowlers were given an opportunity to land the knockout blow. But, Matt Henry supported all-rounder James Neesham by putting on as many as 84 runs for the ninth wicket.

Interestingly, the lower order could not do much in the second ODI as the Kiwis unraveled rather spectacularly from 204/3 to 242/9. But, they went on to win that match while both occasions involving a late surge resulted in defeats.

#3 Not much at the top

Rahane could not take advantage of an opportunity to strengthen his ODI case

Among India’s concerns in this series has been the lack of substantial partnerships at the top of the order. The malaise did not abate as both Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma perished cheaply to place those below them in a tricky situation.

Rahane, in particular, might be ruing the lack of decisiveness which led to his soft dismissal. With the jostle for places keeping everyone on their toes, the compact right-hander would have wanted a better display to establish himself in the limited-overs formats. Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma disappointed as well thus leading to minimal returns at the top.

#2 MS is back in business

Dhoni showed intent from the moment he arrived at the middle

Having been a successful ODI batsman for a long time, MS Dhoni found himself short on runs amidst concerns regarding his waning reflexes and advancing age. Following his game-turning dismissal at Delhi, he needed a strong knock to allay those fears especially with his team facing a stiff chase in this encounter.

The seasoned campaigner dug deep into his extensive experience to propel India towards their target. While Kohli rotated the strike early on in his innings, he targeted the boundaries and kept the required run-rate in check. Even though he was not able to reach three figures, Dhoni’s contribution to the victory proved to be immense as well.

#1 King Kohli reigns supreme

Kohli and run chases usually end in only one way

Among the most clichéd and inevitable things in life include death, taxes and Kohli leading India in a run-chase. The Delhi batsman was at it once again with an almost nerveless knock. Admittedly, he was reprieved on six by Ross Taylor who dropped a comfortable catch at slip.

But, the manner in which he timed his chase to perfection ended up as the difference between the two sides. Kohli pierced the gaps relentlessly by converting singles to doubles on a regular basis. When Dhoni fell, the 27-year old took over and killed off any hopes that the Kiwis might have had with an unbeaten 154 to secure a seven-wicket triumph for his side.