DHARAMSALA: Virat Kohli hit 95 to lead India to a four-wicket victory over New Zealand and a fifth win in five matches at the World Cup on Sunday although the superstar batsman just missed equalling Sachin Tendulkar’s record of 49 One-day International centuries.

Fast bowler Mohammed Shami returned figures of 5-54 in his first match of the tournament to help bowl out New Zealand for 273, a total India overhauled with 12 balls to spare in a top-of-the-table clash Dharamsala.

The Kiwis, who rode on Daryl Mitchell’s 130, suffered their first loss in five matches and are second behind leaders India in the 10-team table.

India, who lost to New Zealand in the semi-final of the 2019 edition, ended a 20-year wait for a win against the Kiwis in an ICC event after they last beat them in the 2003 World Cup.

An in-form Kohli, who hit 103 not out in the previous victory over Bangladesh, put on key partnerships including a 78-run stand with Ravindra Jadeja, who hit the winning four in his unbeaten 39.

“He [Kohli] has done this for us so many years. He backed himself to do the job,” India captain Rohit Sharma said of his star batsman after the win.

“Kohli and Jadeja pulled us back when we lost a few wickets in the middle.

“Good start to the tournament but our job is half done,” Sharma said of India’s perfect start to the campaign.

“At one stage, New Zealand put up a big partnership there... we have to give credit to the bowlers in the back end.”

Electing to field, India dominated the powerplay segment, reducing New Zealand to 34-2, but subsequently dropped three catches to let their opponents off the hook.

Mohammed Siraj and Shami took down Devon Conway, for a duck, and Will Young, for 17, as New Zealand slipped to 19-2 but Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra (75) put on 159 to get the innings back on track.

Ravindra’s was an eventful knock as he survived two lbw reviews and even had a caught-behind decision against him overturned.

A genuine reprieve came when Jadeja, a safe catcher otherwise, drop­ped a sitter at backward point.

Mitchell also had his share of good fortune.

K.L. Rahul dropped him behind the stumps when on 59 and later Jasprit Bumrah floored a regulation catch in the deep.

Once Shami had dismissed Ravindra, New Zealand, cruising at 205-3 in the 37th over, collapsed in a heap, managing 54 runs in the last 10 overs and losing six wickets.

“Got a lot of confidence after taking a wicket on the first ball,” Shami said after being named man of the match.

“It was important to pick those late wickets, you always want your team to be the top side. Very happy that I got those wickets and India is on top of the table.”

Sharma (46) gave India a flying start, smacking four sixes in his effortless knock, as the hosts raced to 71 for no loss in 10 overs.

Lockie Ferguson broke the stand with a wide delivery which Sharma dragged on to his stumps. In his next over, Ferguson cut short Shubman Gill’s promising knock of 26.

India reached 100-2 in the 15th over when heavy fog caused low visibility, forcing the players off the pitch for a while.

After play resumed, Trent Boult bounced out Shreyas Iyer (33) and New Zealand dragged themselves back into the contest with the wickets of Rahul, who made 27, and Suryakumar Yadav.

Left-arm spinner Mitchell Santner had Rahul trapped lbw and Yadav was run out for two in his maiden World Cup appearance after a mix up with Kohli.

But Kohli kept his calm and along with the left-handed Jadeja saw the team home.

Sensing a second successive century, Kohli refused a single but holed out in the very next ball with India on the verge of victory.

“Towards the back 10 overs, we didn’t quite capitalise on the position we were in but credit for India for how they bowled,” New Zealand captain Tom Latham said.

“We probably left a few out there.”

POINTS TABLE

(Tabulated under played, won, lost, tied, no result, points, net run-rate):

India 5 5 0 0 0 10 1.353

New Zealand 5 4 1 0 0 8 1.481

South Africa 4 3 1 0 0 6 2.212

Australia 4 2 2 0 0 4 -0.193

Pakistan 4 2 2 0 0 4 -0.456

Bangladesh 4 1 3 0 0 2 -0.784

Netherlands 4 1 3 0 0 2 -0.790

Sri Lanka 4 1 3 0 0 2 -1.048

England 4 1 3 0 0 2 -1.248

Afghanistan 4 1 3 0 0 2 -1.250

SCOREBOARD

NEW ZEALAND:

D. Conway c Iyer b Siraj0

W. Young b Shami17

R. Ravindra c Gill b Shami75

D. Mitchell c Kohli b Shami130

T. Latham lbw K. Yadav5

G. Phillips c Sharma b K. Yadav23

M. Chapman c Kohli b Bumrah6

M. Santner b Shami1

M. Henry b Shami0

L. Ferguson run out1

T. Boult not out0

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-5, W-7)15

TOTAL (all out, 50 overs)273

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-9 (Conway), 2-19 (Young), 3-178 (Ravindra), 4-205 (Latham), 5-243 (Phillips), 6-257 (Chapman), 7-260 (Santner), 8-260 (Henry), 9-273 (Mitchell)

BOWLING: Bumrah 10-1-45-1, Siraj 10-1-45-1 (4w), Shami 10-0-54-5, Jadeja 10-0-48-0, K. Yadav 10-0-73-2 (3w)

INDIA:

R. Sharma b Ferguson46

S. Gill c Mitchell b Ferguson26

V. Kohli c Phillips b Henry95

S. Iyer c Conway b Boult33

K.L. Rahul lbw Santner27

S. Yadav run out2

R. Jadeja not out39

M. Shami not out1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-4)5

TOTAL (for six wickets, 48 overs)274

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-71 (Sharma), 2-76 (Gill), 3-128 (Iyer), 4-182 (Rahul), 5-191 (S. Yadav), 6-269 (Kohli)

DID NOT BAT: J. Bumrah, M. Siraj, K. Yadav

BOWLING: Boult 10-0-60-1 (1w), Henry 9-0-55-1, Santner 10-0-37-1, Ferguson 8-0-63-2 (2w), Ravindra 9-0-46-0 (1w), Phillips 2-0-12-0

RESULT: India won by four wickets.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Shami

Published in Dawn, October 23th, 2023