The Indian cricket team endured an unexpectedly difficult outing with the bat during the recently concluded five-match One Day International series against New Zealand. Renowned for commanding dominant totals in white-ball cricket, the Indian batting unit failed to find rhythm across the entire assignment. Underscoring this collective slump was a striking statistic: not a single Indian batter managed to cross the aggregate milestone of 100 runs over the course of the entire series. With one fixture washed out due to rain, the team took the field in four completed matches, yet none of the recognized specialists produced consistent runs.
Virat Kohli Leads the Tally Amid Rare Lean Patch
Star batter Virat Kohli finished as the highest run-scorer for India across the bilateral contest, yet his overall figures reflected the broader struggles of the batting order. Kohli featured in all four innings, aggregating 86 runs at a modest average of 21.50. Notably, 74 of those runs came in the opening encounter of the series, where he looked assured at the crease. However, following that solid start, his bat went uncharacteristically quiet in the remaining three innings, producing only 12 runs combined.
All-rounder Axar Patel occupied the second position on the team's run chart. Axar registered 74 runs across four innings with an average of 18.50. Wicketkeeper-batter Ishan Kishan featured in only two matches during the series but capitalized on his limited chances, compiling 73 runs at an average of 36.50 to finish as India's third highest scorer. Shreyas Iyer, who played all four innings in the middle order, managed only 67 runs at an average of 16.75, while Naman Dhir contributed 60 runs from his four outings.
Leading Indian Run Scorers in the Series
The top run-scorers for India in the five-match ODI rubber were
- Virat Kohli: 86 runs from 4 innings
- Axar Patel: 74 runs from 4 innings
- Ishan Kishan: 73 runs from 2 innings
- Shreyas Iyer: 67 runs from 4 innings
- Naman Dhir: 60 runs from 4 innings
Batting Collapse in the Fifth ODI and Tailend Fightback
The fifth and final ODI in the series brought another disappointing collective display from the Indian lineup. Asked to bat first, the side suffered consistent setbacks throughout the innings and was ultimately bundled out for just 209 runs. Senior opener Rohit Sharma managed only 7 runs, while Kohli fell early after contributing just 5.
A brief recovery occurred in the middle order as Ishan Kishan and Axar Patel staged separate fights, with both batters compiling identical scores of 46 runs. However, neither was able to convert their start into a half-century. With the side in danger of being bowled out well below par, the lower order provided crucial late resistance. Batting at numbers 10 and 11, Mohammed Siraj and Arshdeep Singh played attacking strokes to build an essential 26-run partnership for the final wicket, ensuring that the team crossed the 200-run mark before being dismissed.
