Runs keep flowing from Daryl Mitchell’s bat. With another superb knock, he produced back-to-back centuries, while Glenn Phillips also reached three figures. Their brilliance helped New Zealand achieve a first in their cricketing history.
In the series-deciding third and final ODI against India in Indore on Sunday, Mitchell and Phillips stood tall after New Zealand were rocked early. Mitchell played a career-best innings of 137 from 131 balls, striking 15 fours and three sixes. Phillips, meanwhile, brought up the second ODI century of his career, scoring 106 off 88 balls with nine fours and three sixes.
It was the first time New Zealand registered twin centuries against India in ODIs. Overall, it marked their 15th instance of two centuries in the same ODI innings.
Mitchell has been in outstanding form in the 50-over format for some time now. In his last four ODI innings, he has scored three centuries, and in his last seven innings he has crossed fifty six times.
Earlier in the series, Mitchell followed up his 84 in the opening ODI at Vadodara with a match-winning 131 in Rajkot. He finished the series with a remarkable 352 runs, setting a new record for the most runs by a New Zealand batter in a three-match bilateral ODI series.
The knock also underlined Mitchell’s love affair with Indian conditions. This was his fourth ODI century in India from just 11 innings, the joint-most by a New Zealander, alongside Nathan Astle. Overall, Mitchell now has five ODI hundreds against India, the most by any New Zealand batter.
After losing the toss at the Holkar Cricket Stadium, New Zealand’s innings got off to a nightmare start. They lost openers Henry Nicholls and Devon Conway for just five runs, and when Will Young departed with the score on 58, the visitors were in deep trouble.
Mitchell and Phillips then took control, rebuilding steadily. Mitchell kept the scoreboard moving with fluent strokeplay, while Phillips took his time at the other end before accelerating.
Mitchell reached his fifty off 56 balls with a boundary off Kuldeep Yadav, while Phillips was still on 14 from 24 deliveries at that stage. Phillips later found his rhythm, bringing up his half-century in 53 balls. Mitchell soon moved into the nineties and reached his ninth ODI hundred with a single in the 36th over.
Phillips completed his century in just 83 balls, taking only 30 deliveries to move from fifty to three figures. His innings ended when he was caught behind off Arshdeep Singh, breaking a 219-run partnership — New Zealand’s second-highest ODI stand against India on any ground. The record remains the unbeaten 221-run stand between Tom Latham and Kane Williamson in 2022.
Mitchell continued to pile on the runs, hitting two more boundaries in the over Phillips was dismissed to surpass his previous ODI best of 134. However, he fell in the next over, caught at the boundary off Mohammed Siraj.
Captain Mitchell Bracewell added an unbeaten 28 from 18 balls at the end as New Zealand finished on a strong 337 for 8.
