Sawt Falasteen - Mitchell hits ton as New Zealand down India to level ODI series

Chasing 285 for victory, Mitchell's eighth ODI ton and a 162-run stand with Will Young (87) for the third wicket helped New Zealand reach their target with 15 balls to spare in Rajkot.

Mitchell's knock trumped an unbeaten 112 by KL Rahul in India's 284-7 and forced the three-match series into a decider on Sunday in Indore.

Mitchell walked in to bat with New Zealand on 46-2 and along with Young helped the Black Caps take control.

Young fell to Kuldeep Yadav in the 38th over but Mitchell stood firm to bring up his hundred.

He hit 11 fours and two sixes in his 117-ball innings and with Glenn Phillips, who made 32 not out, put together an unbeaten stand of 78.

Indian bowlers enjoyed early success when Harshit Rana bowled Devon Conway, who made 16, and fellow quick Prasidh Krishna had Henry Nicholls inside-edge a delivery onto his stumps for 10.

But Mitchell, who was dropped on 80, and Young struck regular boundaries as New Zealand completed their highest-ever ODI chase in India.

Earlier, India skipper Shubman Gill made 56 before a brief collapse and a 73-run fifth-wicket partnership between Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja.

Rahul raised his eighth ODI ton in 87 balls with a six off Kyle Jamieson.

India started strongly courtesy of Gill and Rohit Sharma, who scored 24, as the opening pair put on 70 runs.

Rohit failed to capitalise on his start and fell to Kristian Clarke, before pace spearhead Jamieson sent back Gill.

Clarke kept up the charge with his medium-pace bowling to dismiss Shreyas Iyer for eight and the in-form Virat Kohli for 23.

The 37-year-old Kohli, who returned to the top of the ODI batting rankings on Wednesday, walked back to stunned silence after he played on as India slipped from 99-1 to 118-4.

Rahul then took centre stage to rebuild the innings along with Jadeja, who made 27.

The series will be followed by five T20s, ahead of the T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka between February 7 and March 8.

Q.Jaber--SF-PST