Overview
- Daryl Mitchell (137) and Glenn Phillips (106) lifted New Zealand to 337/8 in the Indore decider before India were bowled out for 296, with Virat Kohli’s 124 not enough in a 41-run defeat.
- Sunil Gavaskar faulted India’s passive fielding in the middle overs and questioned Shubman Gill’s technique against the incoming ball after his bowled dismissal to Kyle Jamieson.
- Ravichandran Ashwin said India’s response under pressure looked “flat” and described the performance as “very soft cricket,” crediting New Zealand for controlling key moments.
- Ajinkya Rahane attributed the slump to excessive changes and unclear roles, noting five losses in India’s last nine ODIs and urging stability with no ODIs scheduled until July 2026.
- Aakash Chopra criticised India’s spinners as outbowled, flagging Ravindra Jadeja’s wicketless series and lean batting, while Rohit Sharma’s 61-run series raised questions; unverified crowd chants targeted head coach Gautam Gambhir as the T20Is begin Jan 21.