Wellington: India’s bowling dominance set up a superb low-scoring encounter, restricting New Zealand to just 134 runs before India held their nerve in a tense, rain-interrupted chase to edge past the hosts by four runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series on Saturday, November 7, at Hagley Stadium in Wellington.
The match was reduced to 47 overs due to rain delays ahead of the start of play. The match was reduced to 47 overs due to rain delays before the start of play. Opting to bowl first, India’s bowling attack produced a completely dominant performance, spearheaded by Gurnoor Brar’s outstanding four-wicket haul, with excellent support from Anshul Kamboj, Axar Patel and Auqib Nabi, who claimed two wickets each to bundle out New Zealand for just 134 in 40.6 overs. While chasing the modest target, India found themselves in a shaky position on a challenging surface. However, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul continued to steer the chase with composure as India reached 113/7 in 26 overs before rain interrupted the tense encounter. Under the DLS method, India were declared winners after staying ahead of the required par score, thereby sealing the victory.
The second ODI began with India winning the toss and electing to bowl first. The visitors made a fantastic start, with Arshdeep Singh delivering a maiden in the opening over before Auqib Nabi dismissed Tim Seifert for a five-ball duck. Auqib picked up his maiden ODI wicket in his very first over and then struck again by dismissing Will Young (6 off 17), putting New Zealand under early pressure. With New Zealand struggling to score and already reduced to 53/3 after 20 overs, Gurnoor Brar produced a superb double-wicket maiden, removing Tom Latham (7 off 22) and Glenn Phillips, who departed for a four-ball duck, pushing the hosts into deeper trouble. Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner showed some resistance as they attempted to recover from the early damage. The pair stitched together a valuable 59-run partnership off 90 balls for the sixth wicket. Mitchell led the recovery with a composed 55 off 104 balls, including five boundaries and two sixes, while Santner provided valuable support with 31 off 38 balls. However, Axar Patel broke the partnership by dismissing Daryl Mitchell, while Gurnoor removed Santner, leaving New Zealand at 119/7. The lower order failed to make any significant contribution as New Zealand remained under constant pressure and were eventually bowled out for just 134 in 40.6 overs. Gurnoor Brar’s performance was outstanding as he completed his spell with impressive figures of 4/30 at an excellent economy rate of 3.00, executing his deliveries with exceptional pace and bounce, particularly during the middle overs. Auqib Nabi (2/31), Anshul Kamboj (2/25) and Axar Patel (2/28) also made valuable contributions, while Arshdeep Singh conceded just 16 runs in his seven overs, although he went wicketless. The Indian bowling attack collectively delivered an excellent performance, playing a vital role in restricting New Zealand to a modest total. New Zealand’s batters struggled to find any momentum throughout the innings. New Zealand’s total of 134 was their lowest all-out score at home against India in ODI cricket. Their previous lowest was 142 in Auckland in 1994, when India won the match by seven wickets.
While chasing the modest target of 135, India suffered early setbacks as Jacob Duffy dismissed Shubman Gill for a duck in the second over of the innings. Duffy struck again in his next over, dismissing Virat Kohli (7 off 7) and putting India under early pressure. Despite his early dismissal, Virat Kohli achieved another significant milestone in his remarkable ODI career, becoming the highest run-scorer against New Zealand in the history of the format. The former India captain moved past Australian great Ricky Ponting. Needing just one run to surpass the landmark, Kohli achieved the feat by opening his account with a boundary. Rohit Sharma attempted to recover and stabilise the innings following the early setbacks, but Kyle Jamieson dismissed him for 23 off 28 balls. New Zealand continued to chip away at India’s batting line-up as Matthew Fisher removed Axar Patel (7 off 17), helping the visitors regain momentum and leaving India struggling at 47/4 inside the 13th over. However, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul steadied the innings and rebuilt the chase with composure, stitching together a valuable 39-run partnership off 43 balls for the fifth wicket. Iyer scored an important 30 off 46 balls, including four boundaries and a six, before losing his wicket. India then lost two more wickets as Namandhir (12 off 16) and Anshul Kamboj (1 off 3) departed. Meanwhile, KL Rahul remained unbeaten on a composed 26 off 38 balls before rain interrupted play, with India at 113/7 and still needing 22 runs to win. However, persistent showers brought play to an end, and the match was eventually decided by the DLS method, with India declared winners by four runs after staying ahead of the required par score, securing a 2-0 lead in the series. Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson picked up three wickets each, while Matthew Fisher claimed one wicket for New Zealand.
With his outstanding four-wicket haul, Gurnoor Brar deservedly earned the Player of the Match award. Now, both teams will face each other in the third ODI on Tuesday, November 10, at Seddon Park in Hamilton. India will be aiming to clinch the series with another victory, while New Zealand will look to bounce back strongly, put up a spirited fight and prevent India from sealing the series.
