Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma miss the beat in their last dance on New Zealand soil | Cricket News
MIUNT MANGANUI: The coastal city of Tauranga broke away from the wet script witnessed in Auckland, Wellington and Hamilton, but even the bright sunshine couldn’t change the narrative for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in New Zealand. The experienced campaigners managed series hauls of just 86 and 30 runs, respectively, in conditions that remained challenging for batters.The ODI specialists would have liked better returns, but their last dance in New Zealand never found the right beat. Kohli did score an authoritative 74 in the series opener at Eden Park but lost rhythm after that. His last three scores were 7, 0 and 5. For Rohit, it was a difficult tour, with two ducks, and he crossed the double-digit mark only once. On only their second overseas tour of the year, the two right-handers struggled against pace, bounce, movement and the sheer relentlessness of the Kiwi quicks.Their vulnerabilities against the moving ball were exposed as the opposition didn’t give an inch, persisting with the good-length spot and coupling it with movement in either direction. Both were caught on the crease in the fourth ODI and lacked confidence in the final fixture. Rohit mistimed a flick, while Kohli slashed at a delivery outside off, leaving India in trouble in both fixtures even before the spectators could settle down.While Matt Henry operated in unplayable territory on Friday, Sunday afternoon was a perfect occasion to cash in. More than movement off the pitch or in the air, it was their shot selection that kept the two batters’ series hauls low. Overall, 2026 has been a rewarding year for the two, but New Zealand has been an opposition against which Rohit hasn’t enjoyed any success, both at home and away. As far as Kohli is concerned, it was a rare failure after what has been a very high-scoring year for India’s No. 3.
Misfiring top order
India’s top order misfired throughout the series, and this was the first occasion in over five years when none of the top three scored an individual hundred. It has happened only twice since the 2013 Champions Trophy that India’s top order failed to reach the three-figure mark in a five-match series. Interestingly, both instances came against the same opposition: New Zealand, in 2019 and now during this tour.This away vulnerability will definitely serve as a stern wake-up call in the build-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup, where head coach Gautam Gambhir expects similar conditions. India will again find home comfort against Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe after this tour, but doubts over whether the batting has what it takes to dominate in South Africa will continue.
For the first time in over 10 years, Kohli registered three single-digit scores in an ODI series, while the two ducks saw Rohit join several unwanted lists. There are no doubts about their abilities in the format, but it now remains to be seen how the think tank reviews these struggles as it firms up its plans for next year’s multi-nation event.India will need experience in South Africa, but more than that, they will need two firing and assured batters in the top three.
