Who would have expected this clash to go down the wire after Shubman Gill’s masterclass in the first innings? Well, this India vs New Zealand clash at Hyderabad had everything a cricket fan can possibly ask for!

The Indian cricket team picked up from where they left off against Sri Lanka on Sunday with a dramatic 12-run win!

Gill’s breath-taking double century, filled with a range of classy shots, headlined the Men in Blue’s batting show as they registered a mammoth total of 349/8. In reply, the visitors came within touching distance of a stunning win, with Michael Bracewell and Mitchell Santner giving them a real chance to pull off the unthinkable.

Here’s how the record-shattering day unfolded in the City of Nizams!

Nusta rada!

Ladies and gentlemen, presenting to y’all, the youngest ODI double-centurion of all time, SHUBMAN GILL! The 23-year-old’s scintillating 208 off 149 balls oozed equal proportions of aggression, acceleration and maturity. Starting off on a steady note, Gill shifted gears gradually en route to his milestone, where he also became the fastest Indian to breach the 1000-run mark in ODIs.

Moreover, you won’t often see a player reach 200 with three consecutive sixes but for Gill, nothing was impossible on his day! He went berserk and smashed Lockie Ferguson for three maximums on the trot in the 49th over to leave the crowd spellbound!

Hitman and SKY chip in with handy knocks

Captain RO once again came out with an attacking intent, setting the base for his team to build on. The right-handed batter scored 34 off 38 balls before departing, while also helping young Gill settle in.

Meanwhile, Surya dada was looking like ‘The Suryakumar Yadav’ from the T20 format when he came in to bat as he played his part in the team's daunting total, scoring a 26-ball 31 before an unfortunate dismissal.

Latham beta... Masti nahi…!

Amid Gill’s whirlwind knock, there was a moment of controversy when Hardik Pandya was given OUT (bowled) in the 40th over off Daryl Mitchell after the Black Caps wicket-keeper seemed to have clipped the bails with his gloves. And it looked like the tourists got lucky with a crucial wicket of Hardik Pandya.

Nonetheless, Tom Latham tried to be naughty again in the following over, dislodging the bails yet again with his hands as the umpire sent it upstairs. The review got the ‘Jethalal’ inside every Indian saying ‘Latham beta… masti nahi…’

Hang on! The encounter is far from over…

In a cricket match, the wind can turn in anyone’s favour at any moment and that’s exactly what we witnessed in Hyderabad. With Kiwis reeling at 131/6, it was India all the way but Bracewell and Mitchell Santner had other ideas. Bracewell unleashed his inner beast and took the bowlers to the cleaners as he notched his second ODI ton, almost getting his side over the line. Santner, on the other hand, played the supporting role with perfection, bagging a half-century under pressure.

At last, our bowlers wrap up a fascinating game of cricket

At the end of the day, despite Bracewell’s fireworks, it was always gonna be a super tough task for New Zealand to try and win the contest after ‘Shubman Gill‘ happened to them in the first innings.

It was a special day for Mohammed Siraj as well, who got an opportunity to impress a very local home crowd. He did so in some style, by picking up four wickets, including two in the 46th over just when India needed his magic the most. With 20 needed off the final over, Shardul Thakur held his nerve and dismissed Bracewell on the second ball, much to the relief of the home supporters and more importantly, our very own captain Rohit Sharma. Phew!

Brief scores: India 349/8 in 50 overs (Shubman Gill 208, Daryl Mitchell 2/30) beat New Zealand 337/10 in 49.2 overs (Michael Bracewell 140, Mohammed Siraj 4/46) by 12 runs