India vs New Zealand: Daryl Mitchell’s run spree proves that the breed of ODI batting specialists will not end after Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

Mitchell’s innings was a well-paced effort that showed his mastery of the situation, against spin and pace, while in defence or attack. It took his aggregate for the three-match series to 352 runs. It also underlined just how much he loves batting against India, and on their territory no less.

In 11 ODI innings against India, he has now scored 741 runs at an average of 74.1. Six of his last seven innings against India have been 50+ scores, four of them on these shores. His ninth ODI hundred on Sunday took his average to nearly 60 in 59 matches.

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All of these attributes speak to a true ODI specialist who hasn’t quite broken through in the other two formats and has, hence, flown slightly under the radar. But he has been a consistent nemesis of this Indian side. That’s because he enjoys a unique attribute among batters touring the subcontinent: a very potent repertoire of shots to target the spinners. It was on full display during his match-winning 131 not out in Rajkot on Wednesday, on a slowish surface where the ball was staying low. Mitchell is an assured sweeper and reverse-sweeper, and has the quick footwork to charge down and attack as well. He did the latter on the very first ball of spin, in the 17th over from Kuldeep Yadav.

New Zealand batter Daryl Mitchell celebrating his century against India during 3rd ODI in Indore. (PHOTO: AP)

Perhaps that, and a true pitch without much assistance for spinners, is why skipper Shubman Gill had stayed away from the tweakers for so long. Ravindra Jadeja was handed the ball only in the 30th over, by which time Kuldeep had bowled just three overs. The two combined for a total of 12.

But Mitchell’s task at hand was a lot more than just going on the offensive against spin. Coming to the middle in the second over at 5/2 meant he had to do much of the spadework for New Zealand to not capitulate. He constructed two crucial partnerships.

By the time he departed, the Kiwis were on their way to an 300+ score thanks to his 219-run stand with Glenn Phillips, the all-rounder also hitting an excellent century after a few dropped catches. But Mitchell did much of the legwork in the middle overs.

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Both batsmen accelerated in such a manner that it scrambled India’s under-strength bowling attack, which looked bereft of options to find the breakthrough.

Mitchell’s innings indicated that the rumours of the decline of the ODI specialist have been highly exaggerated.

Mixed bowling

Despite the imposing-looking total, New Zealand actually ended a few dozen runs short of where they could have been because of India’s new-ball exploits in what was otherwise quite a mixed bowling performance.

Two wickets in the first seven balls helped. The positive impacts of Arshdeep Singh’s inclusion were there to see barely a few balls into the innings as he got Henry Nicholls to chop an out-swinging length ball onto his stumps. Harshit Rana sent Devon Conway back with a peach that pitched on off and threatened to deviate but held its shape, prompting a tentative prod to the slips. The two kept up the threat for the rest of the Powerplay.

But once the ball aged, neither Rana nor Arshdeep could find much bite. With Gill’s reluctance to throw it to the spinners, the responsibility fell on Mohammed Siraj and Nitish Reddy; the former the pick of the bunch and the latter delivering reasonably well under recent pressure and criticism. Both had a similar template: bowling stump to stump and finding the requisite grip from the surface with the occasional slow bouncer.

Reddy, though, was eventually carted to all parts but a few late wickets ensured the score was not bigger on an Indore belter. But it was another less-than-satisfactory performance with the ball, three for three this series.

Brief scores: New Zealand 337/8 in 50 overs (Mitchell 137, Phillips 106; Arshdeep 3/63) vs India