Wellington: India defeated New Zealand by four runs via the DLS method in a rain-affected second ODI at the Sky Stadium (Westpac Stadium) in Wellington on Sunday. The victory gave India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
🌧️ Rain Reduces Match to 47 Overs
Rain played spoilsport in the opening hour, reducing the game to 47 overs per side. India won the toss and elected to bowl first, and the conditions certainly helped them establish authority in the powerplay.
🎯 Pacers Set Up the Win
Pacer Auqib Nabi capitalised with the new ball, picking up two wickets as New Zealand were reduced to 11/2 at one stage. Opener Tim Seifert departed for a duck, while Will Young made six.
The two early dismissals put pressure on the middle order, and wickets fell at regular intervals—eight of New Zealand's batters scored in single digits. Daryl Mitchell was the only one to put up a fight with a gritty 55, while captain Mitchell Santner made 31.
For India, Gurnoor Brar stole the show with two wickets, while Axar Patel and Anshul Kamboj also picked up two wickets each. New Zealand were bundled out for just 134.
😰 Indian Top Order Flops in Chase
Chasing a modest target, India lost Shubman Gill in the second over for a golden duck, and soon Virat Kohli followed for seven runs—though that was enough for him to become the leading run-scorer against New Zealand in ODI cricket, surpassing Ricky Ponting.
Rohit Sharma looked comfortable for a while but was dismissed by Kyle Jamieson for 23. Axar Patel departed cheaply too, leaving Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul under severe pressure as India were reduced to 47/4.
Shreyas managed to keep the scoreboard ticking and made 30 before departing. Jacob Duffy then picked up the prized wicket of Naman Dhir, and Anshul Kamboj gifted his wicket away, giving New Zealand plenty of confidence.
🌧️ Rain Returns, India Win by 4 Runs (DLS)
Just when things were ticking for New Zealand, the rain returned and the match could not continue. India were four runs ahead on DLS at that point, securing a thrilling victory.
