Team India in Seventh Heaven

Kanpur: India beat New Zealand by six runs in the third and final one-day international in Kanpur on Sunday to clinch the series 2-1. Chasing 338 for victory, New Zealand faltered in their chase to end on 331/7 despite a gritty 52-ball 65 by Tom Latham, who was run out in the 48th over.

Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah claimed three wickets while leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal took two. Earlier, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli conjured up classy hundreds to fire India to a record 337.

Rohit and Kohli, who became the first ever pairing to complete four double hundred partnerships in ODIs, were simply unstoppable against a bowling attack that looked pretty ordinary on the day. Their spectacular showing also helped India comfortably beat the previous highest score at Green Park, 303/5 that South Africa had scored against them two years ago.

The destructive duo were in complete control ever since Shikhar Dhawan (14) departed in the seventh over and ended up with a record breaking 230-run stand off 211 balls. While Kohli had already hit a fine hundred in the series opener, Sharma rose to the occasion after failing in the first two games after New Zealand put the home team in.

The last time he played an ODI here, he made 150, and two years on, the stylish right-hander from Mumbai gave the packed crowd an afternoon to remember. There are not many prettier sights in cricket than watching Sharma bat in full flow. And he did look in fine form, right from the time he slashed a gentle loosener from Tim Southee over point in the first over of the match.

The Kanpur pitch, usually slow and low, played well with the ball coming on to the bat nicely and someone of the class of Kohli and Sharma, made full use of the friendly conditions. The signs were ominous for the opposition when Sharma easily picked pacer Adam Milne for a huge six over midwicket. He gave the same treatment to left-arm spinner Santner in his first over.

Scorecard 
India: R. Sharma c Southee b Santner 147, S. Dhawan c Williamson b Southee 14, V. Kohli c Williamson b Southee 113, H. Pandya c Southee b Santner 8, M.S. Dhoni c Munro b Milne 25, K. Jadhav c Guptill b Milne 18, D. Karthik (not out) 4. 
Extras: (lb1, w7) 8. Total: (for 6 wkts, in 50 overs) 337.
FoW: 1-29, 2-259, 3-273, 4-302, 5-331, 6-337.
Bowling: Southee 10-0-66-2 (1w), Boult 10-0-81-0 (3w), Milne 10-0-64-2 (2w), Grandhomme 8-0-57-0, Santner 10-0-58-2, Munro 2-0-10-0 (1w).
New Zealand: M. Guptill c Karthik b Bumrah 10, C. Munro b Chahal 75, K. Williamson c Dhoni b Chahal 64, L. Taylor c Jadhav b Bumrah 39, T. Latham (run out Bumrah) 65, H. Nicholls b Kumar 37, C. Grandhomme (not out) 8, M. Santner c Dhawan b Bumrah 9, T. Southee (not out) 4.
Extras: (lb4, w16) 20. Total: (for 7 wkts, in 50 overs) 331.
FoW: 1-44, 2-153, 3-168, 4-247, 5-306, 6-312, 7-326. 
Bowling: Kumar 10-0-92-1 (7w), Bumrah 10-0-47-3 (2w), Pandya 5-0-47-0 (2w), Patel 7-0-40-0 (1w), Jadhav 8-0-54-0 (1w), Chahal 10-0-47-2 (1w).