India, Feb. 1 -- New Zealand can never be counted out in sub-continent conditions, especially in ICC events. A key architect of their improved showing against spin is the tall right-handed batter from Hamilton, Daryl Mitchell. He took them to the 2021 T20 World Cup final. Mitchell's hundred in the 2023 ODI World Cup semi-final against India was heroic in defeat.

If his Player-of-the-Series showing (352 runs, 2x100, avg 176) in the recent ODI series win against India had payback vibes, he wouldn't show. "We recognised it was on us senior guys to stand up. We got stuck in the moment, adapted to conditions really well, and kept trying to find ways to put pressure on them," Mitchell told HT last week.

The twin hundreds in the ODI series ear...