India's top order collapsed for the second match in a row in the series decider against New Zealand at Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui, on Sunday, 15 November 2026, with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both falling cheaply again.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner won the toss and chose to bowl first, and his seamers made the early running. Rohit Sharma was caught behind off Matthew Fisher for 7 off 13 balls, and Virat Kohli edged Fisher to wicketkeeper Tim Seifert for 5 off 4 balls, leaving India 33 for 2. Ruturaj Gaikwad then fell caught behind off Jacob Duffy for 18 off 26, and stand-in captain Shreyas Iyer was dismissed without scoring, leaving India three down inside the first powerplay at 34 for 3 after 8.1 overs.
The collapse continued the pattern of the fourth ODI, played at the same venue on Friday, when Matt Henry removed Rohit, Kohli and Iyer for ducks in the first over and India were bowled out for just 89 in a 244-run defeat. In the decider, the top four managed only 30 runs between them.
Axar Patel led the recovery, scoring 46 off 55 balls before falling to Michael Bracewell, and Ishan Kishan held the innings together from the other end. Naman Dhir, playing in the middle order, made 22 off 31 balls before he was dismissed, as India reached 164 for 6 after 34 overs.
Kohli's dismissal underlined a quiet series for him. His 5 in the decider left him with just 86 runs in the series, a disappointing return for India's most experienced batter with the 2027 ODI World Cup approaching. Head coach Gautam Gambhir had already admitted after the fourth ODI that the batting collapse was a major concern.
India lead the five-match series 2-1, with the third ODI washed out, so the decider will settle whether India take a first bilateral ODI series win in New Zealand since 2018-19 or New Zealand level the series 2-2.
India Top Order Collapse, 5th ODI: Key Questions
How many runs did Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli score in the 5th ODI? Rohit Sharma scored 7 off 13 balls and Virat Kohli scored 5 off 4 balls, both falling to Matthew Fisher.
What happened to India's top order in the 5th ODI? India lost three wickets inside the first powerplay and were 34 for 3 after 8.1 overs, with Shreyas Iyer also out for a duck.
Who top-scored for India in the 5th ODI first innings? Axar Patel scored 46 off 55 balls, the highest score among India's top order, with Ishan Kishan unbeaten alongside the lower order at the time of writing.