Wellington (AFP) – India's seam bowlers thrived in helpful conditions for a second straight one-day international as they beat New Zealand by four runs on Saturday to take a 2-0 series lead.
Issued on: 07/11/2026 - 11:15
New Zealand were unable their defend their total of 134, with wet conditions in Wellington having reduced game two to a maximum 47 overs each and made batting conditions treacherous.
India were 113-7 off 26 overs when rain ended play, four runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score of 109.
KL Rahul was at the crease on 26 and Auqib Nabi on one, with the pair having done just enough to put the tourists in front.
They require one more win to wrap up the five-match series, heading into game three in Hamilton on Tuesday.
India won the rain-hit opener in Auckland on Wednesday by five wickets when the home side were skittled for 185.
They were never comfortable in their Wellington chase, rocked onto the back foot when New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy (3-35) dismissed Indian captain Shubman Gill for a golden duck and Virat Kohli for seven.
Paceman Kyle Jamieson (3-35) made a key breakthrough when removing top-scorer Shreyas Iyer for 30, leaving the chase teetering at 86-5.
New Zealand were all out in 41 overs, led by a watchful 55 from Daryl Mitchell and 31 from captain Mitchell Santner.
No other home batsman scored more than 11, many of them undone by unpredictable bounce and tight Indian seam bowling.
Gurnoor Brar produced his best ODI figures of 4-30, making a key double-strike in the 20th over when he removed Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips cheaply to leave New Zealand 53-5.
Earlier, Auqib Nabi claimed his first two international wickets, taking openers Will Young and Tim Seifert to finish with 2-31.
© 2026 AFP
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