Shooting Cooper Connolly: Australia’s 22-year-old star
Kohli’s innings was a masterclass in controlled aggression and resilience as he battled hard to keep India in the chase while wickets fell regularly at the other end.Earlier, New Zealand posted a competitive 337 for eight, powered by centuries from Daryl Mitchell (137) and Glenn Phillips (106). The pair put on 219 runs for the fourth wicket which turned the match decisively in New Zealand’s favour. Mitchell anchored the innings with calm authority while Phillips provided momentum after a cautious start. Despite early blows from the Indian attack, including Arshdeep Singh dismissing Henry Nicholls for a duck and Harshit Rana claiming key wickets, New Zealand recovered strongly, turning the strike and punishing loose deliveries to build a formidable total.India’s chase got off to a shaky start with Rohit Sharma falling for 11 and Shubman Gill for 23 in seven overs. Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul also failed to make their mark, leaving India at 71 for four. Kohli then rebuilt the innings alongside Nitish Kumar Reddy (53), intelligently rotating the strike and punishing the loose deliveries. Harshit Rana contributed a lively 52 off 43 balls, briefly reviving India’s hopes, but the required rate proved too steep. Kohli’s dismissal at 292 for nine, caught by Daryl Mitchell off Kristian Clarke, sealed India’s fate.New Zealand celebrated a landmark 2-1 series win, showing poise, strength and an effective partnership. In India, Kohli’s brilliant century drew a standing ovation, but the loss underlined that even individual brilliance could not compensate for a collective batting collapse. The match was remembered as the night when one player’s heroics were not enough to avert a historic defeat.