• Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami sink New Zealand and help India claim top spot

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    Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami sink New Zealand and help India claim top spot
    Mohammed Siraj gave India a tremendous start with the important wicket of Devon Conway in the fourth over...

    Digital Desk: India defeated New Zealand by four wickets on October 22 to win the ICC World Cup 2023 for the sixth time in a row. In his first tournament match, Mohammed Shami got five wickets to dismiss New Zealand for 273 runs, and then Virat Kohli's spectacular 95-run innings propelled India to a straightforward victory.

    At the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala, Rohit chose to toss for India and decided to bowl first. Shardul Thakur and the injured Hardik Pandya were replaced by Shami and Suryakumar Yadav for India, but Kane Williamson-less New Zealand stayed unaltered.

    Mohammed Siraj gave India a tremendous start with the important wicket of Devon Conway in the fourth over. Siraj and Jasprit Bumrah did a great job with their opening spells, but Mohammed Shami made the biggest impact.

    India took control of the game when Shami dismissed in-form Will Young with his first delivery of the match in the ninth over. However, New Zealand made a comeback from early setbacks through Daryl Mitchell and Rachin Ravindra.

    With a record-breaking 159 runs for the third wicket, Daryl and Rachin set the stage for New Zealand to reach a huge total. With 75 runs off 87 balls, Rachin scored his third fifty-plus score of the tournament before being removed by Shami. Following Rachin's removal, India succeeded in gaining momentum and capturing consecutive wickets to prevent their opponent from reaching a total of 300 or more.

    While Daryl managed to secure his first-ever World Cup hundred, Shami secured his second-best five-wicket total in the history of the ODI World Cup. In 50 overs, Daryl top-scored for New Zealand with 130 runs off 127 balls (273/10).

    When India was chasing, Rohit and Shubman Gill once again put together a flawless start. The in-form duo added 71 runs for the opening wicket to put India in the driving seat but the star speedster Lockie Ferguson balanced the game with two wickets.

    With a 56-run stand for the third wicket, Kohli and Shreyas Iyer kept the scoreboard moving during the middle overs. With KL Rahul and Suryakumar Yadav falling for fast runs, New Zealand attempted to rally, but Kohli's outstanding performance sealed India's victory. 
     
    Along with Kohli, spin all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja helped India win easily. To guarantee a decisive victory for India, Kohli and Jadeja scored 78 runs for the sixth wicket. While trying a massive shot to reach his century, Kohli lost his wicket, but India was in complete control and would easily win the match.

    Jadeja scored an undefeated 39 runs off 44 balls, while Kohli top-scored with 95 runs off 104 balls. Kohli and Daryl Mitchell were beaten by Mohammed Shami to win Player of the Match.