International cricket’s grandest farewell tour made a memorable stop at one of the world’s most iconic venues this week.
With the countdown to next year’s ODI World Cup well and truly on, cricket fans around the globe are having the chance to say goodbye to one of the sport’s biggest icons – Virat Kohli.
Watch India’s Tour of NZ | Every T20, ODI and Test Live & Exclusive on Fox Cricket, available on Kayo Sports | Don’t miss the Summer of the Century. Get 50% off Kayo Premium for 4 months. Min cost $23 for 1 month. New & returning customers only. Offer ends 30 Nov 2026. Sign up today.
At the moment it is New Zealand’s turn.
A year after Kohli, and his fellow Indian superstar Rohit Sharma, farewelled Australia with an unbroken 168-run partnership to claim victory at the SCG – where Sharma scored a century and Kohli peeled off 74 not out – Auckland’s Eden Park was the scene of another swan song.
On the eve of his 38th birthday, Kohli was the only batter to pass 40 in a ran-affected, low-scoring encounter to kick off a five-match ODI series with a five-wicket win via DLS.
Kohli was eventually dismissed by his IPL teammate Jacob Duffy, but his 74 off 51 balls was not so much a case of winding back the clock.
Rather it was an artist showing an adoring crowd that they still have plenty of voice left in them.
Kohli took on the short ball, and pulled and hooked his way to a 55th score of 50+ in a winning ODI chase.
“The difference between the two sides was, really, one of the world’s greatest players,” former New Zealand wicketkeeper turned commentator Ian Smith told foxsports.com.au.
“So, every now and then you just acknowledge that that’s going to be the case. He was head and shoulders above everybody.”
Kohli gave the fans, who stuck it out in the rain and many of whom greeted him at Auckland Airport days prior, a send-off fitting of his superstar status.
It may seem early to be doing so given the series has only just begun, but Smith believes the Kohli roadshow will step away from some of New Zealand’s showpiece sites later in the series.
“When he left the ground, it was almost like he was saying goodbye,” Smith told foxsports.com.au.
“He was appreciative of the crowd that had come and stayed through some showery weather, but it was almost like it was a farewell knock for him at Eden Park.
“He’s still got another four games to go (in New Zealand) – one in Wellington, then goes to Hamilton and a couple of games in Mount Maunganui.
“They’re not the traditional big grounds with the big crowds for those games. So, that was a good acknowledgment for a decent crowd.”
READ MORE: Aussie heist forced Kohli into this chips-in move. His redemption ‘dream’ could blow up already
Smith also believes that things may not go so swimmingly for Kohli and India in the coming matches.
Their next outing is at Wellington’s Hnry Stadium, better known as the Cake Tin, on Saturday and there is a growing trend in New Zealand ODI cricket that may see the tables turned on the visitors at some stage.
India won the preceding T20 series 3-2 with New Zealand winning the final two matches, but in six white-ball games so far this tour, the team batting first has won just once.
It was a similar story last summer as in five non-rain affected ODIs against the West Indies and England last summer, the average score batting first was 210.
The discrepancy between setting and chasing is huge right now, and one key aspect has not gone New Zealand’s way so far.
“It’s very early for us to be playing international cricket, in late October, early November,” Smith told foxsports.com.au.
“I think early on the pitches are a little bit more conducive to bowling first and there’s the dew factor at the end of the night as well. So, sides are tending to want to bowl first.
“From our point of view, I think we’ve won one out of six tosses. So, when conditions can dictate what you want to do, you need things to fall your way every now then. And they just haven’t.
“We’ve been slow starters, no doubt about it.
“India gave us a heck of a hiding (in the early games), but the encouraging thing was we came back in the T20s and I thought there was probably the best element of it – that we just didn’t lay down.”
“So, I’m not too dismayed. We’ve got some injury problems to key players. We didn’t have (Devon) Conway, Rachin Ravindra and Matt Henry available,” he added.
“When it comes to any side that we pick, those three guys are pretty instrumental.”
While Kohli and Sharma are looking to atone for their loss to Australia in the 2023 World Cup final in Ahmedabad, New Zealand are building towards breaking through.
The Black Caps lost the final to Australia at the MCG in 2015.
They tied with England after 100 overs at Lord’s in 2019. They tied again after a super over, but did not take home the trophy on a boundary countback.
While in 2023, they were beaten by India in a semi-final and last year, India overcame them in the final of the Champions Trophy.
New Zealand were the inaugural World Test Championship winners, but ODI glory has continued to elude them despite coming so close on several occasions.
Smith believes that could change in a year’s time in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia with New Zealand offering few surprises in their squad.
“What you’re seeing, with the exception of three or four injured players, is what we’ve got,” Smith told foxsports.com.au.
“I don’t think there’s anyone that’s going into break into the squad from the outside looking at what they’re carrying around now.”
“World Cup, I think, big chance, a really a big chance,” he added.
“I haven’t looked too closely at the draw or the venues yet, but I know because it’s a World Cup, New Zealand will be there or thereabouts.
“They’re a dangerous side. If they can get to the playoffs, then they believe on any given day (they can win).
“Champions Trophy, World Cup, they’ve been floating around, and it’s the same nucleus of guys.”
Leave a Reply