India captain Shubman Gill did not shy away from the shortcomings after his side lost the decisive third ODI against New Zealand by 41 runs at the Holkar Cricket Stadium on Sunday, handing the visitors a historic series win.
With the series locked at 1-1 heading into the do-or-die clash, Gill admitted the performance fell well short of expectations. “After the first game, coming here 1-1, the way we played was disappointing. A lot of areas need improvement,” Gill said during the post-match presentation. He, however, pointed out a few positives, adding, “Virat bhai's batting and Harshit's batting have been pluses. Fast bowlers have done well. Keeping World Cup 2027 in mind and where it will be, we want to give Nitish Kumar opportunities.”
New Zealand’s victory marked their first ODI bilateral series win in India since 1988, achieved on their eighth attempt.
Asked to bat first, New Zealand piled up an imposing 337 for eight. Daryl Mitchell continued his golden run in the series with a second successive hundred, blasting 137 off 131 balls with 15 fours and a six. Glenn Phillips provided further momentum with a commanding 106 from 88 deliveries, striking nine fours and three sixes. Captain Michael Bracewell added late impetus with an unbeaten 28 off 18 balls, featuring four boundaries.
India’s bowlers found some success despite the onslaught, with Arshdeep Singh returning figures of 3 for 63 and Harshit Rana picking up 3 for 84.
In reply, India’s chase revolved around Virat Kohli, who stood firm while wickets fell around him. Kohli struck a resolute 124 off 108 balls, hitting 10 fours and three sixes. He found valuable support from Harshit Rana, whose maiden ODI fifty came in the form of a brisk 52 off 43 balls, as the pair stitched together a 99-run stand that briefly kept India in the hunt.
Nitish Kumar Reddy also chipped in with a composed 53 off 57 balls, including two fours and two sixes, but the target proved too steep. India were bowled out for 296 in 46 overs.
For New Zealand, Kristian Clarke led the bowling effort with figures of 3 for 54, while Zakary Foulkes claimed 3 for 77. Jayden Lennox impressed with a tidy spell of 2 for 42, sealing a landmark night for the visitors in Indore.
In a historic blow to India's home dominance, the Men in Blue suffered their first-ever ODI series defeat to New Zealand on Indian soil on January 18, 2026.
The Verdict: Where India Failed
In the post-match press conference, Gill did not mince words, pinpointing three critical areas of failure:
Batting Inconsistency: Gill criticized the top order (including himself and Rohit Sharma) for failing to convert promising starts into big scores.
3 "If the batsmen, especially two of them at the top, are not able to convert starts, then we won't be able to post big scores," Gill admitted."Not Up to the Mark" Fielding: The captain was particularly vocal about the fielding lapses, noting that dropped catches and "lacklustre" boundary-riding cost India at least 15–20 runs in the final game alone.
4 
Middle-Over Bowling: India struggled to take wickets between overs 15 and 40, allowing New Zealand’s Daryl Mitchell and Glenn Phillips to forge a massive 219-run partnership.5
Series Recap (India vs. New Zealand, Jan 2026)
| Match | Venue | Result | Key Highlight |
| 1st ODI | Vadodara | India won by 4 wickets | Virat Kohli (93) and KL Rahul anchored the chase. |
| 2nd ODI | Rajkot | NZ won by 7 wickets | Daryl Mitchell (131*) made the chase look effortless. |
| 3rd ODI | Indore | NZ won by 41 runs | Historic: NZ's first ODI series win in India. |
The Silver Lining
Despite the loss, Gill highlighted the emergence of Harshit Rana and Nitish Kumar Reddy, both of whom scored maiden ODI half-centuries in the final game.
The defeat adds significant pressure on head coach Gautam Gambhir, as this marks yet another home series loss following recent Test defeats to New Zealand and South Africa.
Would you like a deeper look at Virat Kohli’s record-breaking stats from this series, or shall we move to the upcoming T20I schedule?
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