Virat Kohli’s batting a plus but lots of areas need improvement, says Shubman Gill

Indore, Jan 18 (PTI) 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.

“First time a NZ team has won an ODI series here, that's special. You always hope to come here and play good cricket. As a group, we've stuck to what we do well,” Bracewell said.

“We're the sum of all the parts of the team and work as a group. We're a small country from the bottom of the world and take on big ones. Mitchell's been amazing in ODIs for a number of years.

“He's a humble guy, seeing him get his rewards is special. Having three debutants this series and getting to experience the crowds has been cool. Growing the depth of cricket in NZ is awesome,” he added.

Jayden Lennox, who made his debut in the series and played a key role in their come-from-behind wins in the last two ODIs, said the series win shows the talent in New Zealand cricket.

“I think the aim of the left-arm spinners in short form is to be unpredictable, try to stay out of the shorter side and look to get under the batter. It's not too difficult, it's all about execution,” he said.

“The atmosphere, I thought will make me more nervous, but very very special to be part of a series winning team.

“It just shows the depth of New Zealand cricket, we've got a relatively inexperienced line-up, but there's a lot of talent back home and kudos to the set-up back home that we're performing in big moments and in big series on big stages,” he added. PTI DDV PDS PDS