Indore: Virat Kohli’s rich vein of form and Harshit Rana displaying all-round skills were among the positive aspects but the Indian team has a “lot of areas” that need improvement, said skipper Shubman Gill after ODI series loss to New Zealand on Sunday.
Kohli struck his record-extending 54th ODI ton but India lost by 41 runs in a steep run chase of 338, being bowled out for 296 in 46 overs in the series-decider.
India had slumped to 71 for four in reply and despite half-centuries from Nitish Kumar Reddy (53) and Rana (52), the hosts fell way short on what largely remained a batting-friendly pitch with small boundaries at the Holkar Stadium.
“After the first match, coming here 1-1, the way we played, (we are) disappointed,” Gill said at the presentation ceremony.
“There are areas we need to look back, reflect and do better. The way Virat is batting is always is a plus. The way Harshit has batted in this series, batting at No. 8 is not easy. The way he stepped up and the way the fast bowlers bowled in this series was good as well.
“Keeping the World Cup in mind, we want to give him (Nitish Kumar Reddy) opportunities and we want to give him enough overs and see what kind of combinations work for us and what kind of deliveries work for him,” Gill added.
Gill’s comments on Nitish in particular came after Indian assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate admitted after the defeat in the second ODI that the all-rounder was not “doing a heck of a lot” in the game time that he was being given.
Adjudged the Player of the Series for his scores of 84, 131 not out and 137 in the ODI series, Daryl Mitchell said staying in the present worked well for him.
“It’s really nice to contribute to the team. To win here in India is special. As a group, the way we built partnerships, it’s nice to be up there,” Mitchell said.
“I am trying to stay in the present and hopefully make the right decisions. I love playing for my country. All those years in domestic cricket helped me,” added the 34-year-old, who was also a part of New Zealand side which beat India 3-0 in the Test series in 2024-25.
New Zealand, who were without some of their preferred frontline players for the ODI series, won their first-ever series in India since 1988 under the captaincy of Michael Bracewell.