After a long 20-year wait, Team India’s star players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli shared an emotional embrace as they celebrated their victory over New Zealand in a hard-fought match at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala. This was a significant win for the hosts in an ICC event.
Indian captain Rohit Sharma won the toss and elected to bat first. Daryl Mitchell (130) and Rachin Ravindra (75) both contributed to New Zealand’s total of 273 in 50 overs.
Mohammed Shami took five wickets and shone in the bowling department for India.
With a collaborative effort from the batting lineup, the hosts chased down the mark in 48 overs. For the second match in a row, Virat Kohli (95) superbly anchors the pursuit but falls five runs short of a well-deserved century. Ravindra Jadeja capped off the contest with a boundary off the last delivery of the 48th over.
In the locker room, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were overjoyed with the victory and embraced one other to commemorate the momentous occasion. It was a memorable victory since New Zealand had been unbeaten in ICC events against India for the previous 20 years.
The following video shows the exchange between the seasoned duo:
“We know that the job is half done”- Indian captain Rohit Sharma
During the post-match presentation, Indian captain Rohit Sharma praised the team’s strong start to the tournament, but emphasized the necessity of keeping grounded and not getting carried away by victory. Rohit commented on his victory:
“It’s a good start. We know that the job is half done, long way to go in the tournament, Important to stay balanced, not to think too far ahead. He (Mohammed Shami) took the opportunity with both hands. He has got class, and plenty of experience in these conditions.”
“At one stage, we were looking at 300 plus, the way Mitch (Daryl Mitchell) and Rachin (Ravindra) batted. The wicket was easy to bat on, dew came in as well. Give credit to the bowlers, they pulled it back nicely in the end.”
Rohit Sharma
The Men in Blue have risen to top place in the points standings and are the only unbeaten team in the competition halfway through.