Historic Triumph: Mitchell and Phillips Centuries Power New Zealand to First-Ever ODI Series Win in India

By Lions Roar News Sports Desk

MUMBAI, INDIA (Monday, January 19, 2026) — History has been made on Indian soil once again. Just over a year after securing their first-ever Test series win in India, the Black Caps have achieved the unthinkable: winning their first-ever One Day International (ODI) series in the country.

Despite arriving with a squad decimated by injuries and falling 1-0 behind early in the tour, New Zealand mounted a sensational comeback to clinch the series 2-1 with a commanding 41-run victory in the final showdown.

🏏 The Twin-Centurion Show

The foundation of the victory was a massive total of 337/8, built on the back of two incredible centuries that silenced the home crowd.

Daryl Mitchell (137): Mitchell played the anchor and the aggressor, anchoring the innings with a masterclass in playing spin.
Glenn Phillips (106): Phillips provided the explosive fireworks, punishing the Indian death bowlers to push the score beyond the 330-mark.
India’s Resistance: Arshdeep Singh (3-63) and debutant sensation Harshit Rana (3-84) were the pick of the bowlers, but they struggled to contain the New Zealand onslaught during the middle overs.

🇮🇳 Kohli’s Lone Fightback

India’s chase started poorly, but as is often the case, Virat Kohli stood between the Black Caps and history.

The King’s Ton: Kohli struck a magnificent 124, keeping the required run rate within reach and keeping Indian hopes alive.
The 99-Run Scare: A 99-run stand for the seventh wicket between Kohli and Harshit Rana (52) threatened to snatch victory from the visitors. Along with Nitish Reddy (53), India looked poised for a miracle.
The Collapse: Once the partnership was broken, the tail stood no chance against New Zealand’s clinical bowling. India was eventually bowled out for 296.

🎯 Clarke and Foulkes Seal the Deal

New Zealand’s relatively inexperienced bowling attack stepped up when it mattered most. Adithya Ashok and the pace duo of Josh Clarke and Zak Foulkes shared the spoils.

Josh Clarke (3-54): Provided the crucial breakthroughs at the top and bottom of the order.
Zak Foulkes (3-77): Held his nerve during the Kohli-Rana onslaught to close out the tail.

📊 Match Summary

New Zealand: 337/8 (Mitchell 137, Phillips 106; Arshdeep 3-63) India: 296 (Kohli 124, Reddy 53, Rana 52; Clarke 3-54, Foulkes 3-77) Result: New Zealand won by 41 runs. Series Result: New Zealand wins 2-1.