India defeated New Zealand in the second ODI in Wellington to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series
Gurnoor Brar took a career-best 4/30 as India’s pacers and spinners bundled New Zealand out for 134
Auqib Nabi, Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel picked two wickets each in a disciplined bowling effort
India beat New Zealand in the second ODI in Wellington to take a 2-0 lead in the series, but the result came with fresh concern over their batting. Chasing 135 after bowling New Zealand out for 134, India slid to 113/7 in 26 overs before rain ended play. They were four runs ahead of the DLS par score and won the match.
The finish was far tighter than India would have expected after their bowlers controlled most of the game. Gurnoor Brar’s career-best 4/30, backed by two wickets each from Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi and Axar Patel, had left New Zealand with a modest total. Arshdeep Singh did not take a wicket but returned 7-1-16-0 and kept the hosts quiet.
India’s chase then turned nervy despite the low target. The collapse followed batting issues that had already surfaced in the first ODI and again left India relying on their bowlers to cover for a shaky middle order.
Pacers Dominate Early
India’s seamers set the match up. Overnight rain delayed the start and the game was reduced to 47 overs a side, with the conditions helping pace and bounce.
Auqib Nabi struck first and opened his international wicket account. He removed Tim Seifert for a duck and Will Young for six as New Zealand slipped to 11/2. Kamboj then bowled Henry Nicholls for 11, leaving the hosts 23/3 inside nine overs.
Gurnoor pushed New Zealand deeper into trouble. He dismissed Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips in the same over, then returned to remove Nathan Smith and Mitchell Santner for a career-best 4/30. Kamboj finished with 2/25 from eight overs, Nabi took 2/31 and Axar returned 2/28. Arshdeep’s 7-1-16-0 included a maiden, and India sent down 176 dot balls.
Mitchell Keeps Fight
Only one stand delayed the slide. Daryl Mitchell and Santner added 59 for the sixth wicket as New Zealand tried to rebuild.
Mitchell made 55 off 104 balls and Santner scored 31 off 38. Mitchell was dropped by Shubman Gill during his innings, but Axar ended his resistance with a mistimed lofted shot. Rahul then completed the catch behind the stumps to dismiss Santner.
Axar also bowled Kyle Jamieson as India wrapped up the innings quickly after that stand. New Zealand were all out for 134 in 41 overs, setting India a target of 135.
India's Chase Falters
India’s chase went off course early. Gill fell for a golden duck, Kohli made seven and Rohit Sharma managed 17 despite hitting two sixes.
The pitch was not straightforward. The ball occasionally stopped and extra bounce made strokeplay difficult, which allowed New Zealand’s quicks to keep asking questions. India added to the pressure with poor shot selection, and Axar’s dismissal summed that up when he tried a ramp to third man and fell for seven. India were 40/4 at that stage
Iyer and Rahul repaired the innings for a while with a 46-run stand for the fifth wicket. Iyer made 30 off 46 balls but did not turn it into a decisive innings. Naman Dhir scored 12 and Kamboj made one as the wickets kept falling.
Rain then settled the result. Rahul was unbeaten on 23 when play stopped at 113/7, with India needing 22 more runs, and the DLS par score was 109. India had already exposed middle-order issues in the first ODI, and Wellington brought similar concerns back into view. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in sight, the 2-0 lead matters — but so does a batting unit that still looks short on judgement in a modest chase.
