India Beat New Zealand by Four Runs in Rain-Hit 2nd ODI, Take 2-0 Series Lead

India defeated New Zealand by four runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in a rain-affected second ODI in Wellington on Saturday, November 7, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match India vs New Zealand ODI series. Despite a strong bowling performance, India’s batting struggled during the chase before persistent rain forced the match to be abandoned.

After winning the toss, India elected to bowl first in a match reduced to 47 overs per side due to weather conditions. The Indian bowling attack made full use of the favourable conditions, dismissing New Zealand for just 134 runs in 41 overs.

Young pacer Gurnoor Brar emerged as India’s standout performer, claiming four wickets for 30 runs in his 10 overs. He received strong support from Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel, who picked up two wickets each.

For New Zealand, Daryl Mitchell provided the main resistance with 55 runs off 104 deliveries, while captain Mitchell Santner contributed 31 off 38 balls. The pair added 59 runs for the sixth wicket, helping the hosts recover from an early batting collapse. However, India’s bowlers continued to maintain pressure and wrapped up the innings at a modest total.

Chasing 135, India suffered an early setback when captain Shubman Gill was dismissed for a golden duck. Virat Kohli managed only seven runs, while Rohit Sharma contributed 23 before being dismissed. New Zealand’s fast bowlers exploited the conditions and kept picking up wickets. Shreyas Iyer scored 30 runs, while KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 26, attempting to stabilise the innings. However, India’s batting difficulties continued as the team slipped to 113/7 in 26 overs.

With rain preventing further play, the match was abandoned. India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109, securing a narrow victory. The result gave India a 2-0 advantage in the series, with the third ODI scheduled to be played in Hamilton on November 10. Gurnoor Brar was named Player of the Match for his impressive bowling performance.