India beat New Zealand by four runs on the Duckworth-Lewis method in the second ODI in Wellington to take a 2-0 series lead. Gurnoor Brar's 4/30 restricted the hosts to 134, but India slipped to 86/5 while chasing 135 before rain ended play.
Match Summary: Key Numbers
The match was reduced to 47 overs per side after India won the toss and chose to field. New Zealand were bowled out in 41 overs, and India were ahead of the D/L par score of 109 when the umpires called play off.
| Metric | Detail |
|---|
| Result | India won by 4 runs (D/L) |
| Overs per side | 47 |
| New Zealand total | 134 all out (41 overs) |
| India target | 135 |
| India at 20 overs | 86/5 |
| D/L par score | 109 |
| Player of the Match | Gurnoor Brar |
New Zealand Innings: Early Pressure, Late Collapse
India controlled the first 10 overs, with New Zealand at 29/3. Auqib Nabi removed Tim Seifert for a duck and Will Young for 6 off 17. Anshul Kamboj bowled Henry Nicholls for 11 off 26 balls in his first over.
Arshdeep Singh's opening spell read 4-1-4-0, including 20 dot balls. That is a dot-ball rate of 83.3% across his 24 deliveries.
| Stage | New Zealand Score |
|---|
| After 10 overs | 29/3 |
| After 20 overs | 53/5 |
| After 31 overs | 100/5 |
| After 40 overs | 132/9 |
| Final | 134/10 (41 overs) |
Brar's Wicket Maiden Changes the Innings
Brar's 20th over removed Tom Latham (7 off 22) and Glenn Phillips (duck, 4 balls) without a run conceded. New Zealand were 53/5 at that stage.
He finished with 10-2-30-4, an economy rate of 3.00. His wickets also included Mitchell Santner (31 off 38) and Nathan Smith (3 off 9).
Mitchell's Anchor Role Falls Short
Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 55 off 104 balls, a strike rate of 52.88. His unbroken 46-run stand with Santner lifted New Zealand to 99/5 after 31 overs.
Santner scored at a strike rate of 82.14 during that partnership. Axar Patel then removed Mitchell in the 35th over and bowled Kyle Jamieson (7 off 14) in the 39th.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Strike Rate |
|---|
| Daryl Mitchell | 55 | 104 | 52.88 |
| Mitchell Santner | 31 | 38 | 81.58 |
| Tom Latham | 7 | 22 | 31.82 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 7 | 14 | 50.00 |
New Zealand lost 5 wickets for 22 runs between 112/5 and 134 all out, a collapse that decided the total.
India's Chase: A Routine Target Turns Tense
The chase began poorly. Jacob Duffy dismissed captain Shubman Gill for a golden duck in the second over and Virat Kohli (7 off 7) in the fourth. Rohit Sharma made 23 off 28 before Kyle Jamieson removed him in the ninth over.
India were 40/3 after 10 overs. They needed 95 runs from 222 balls, a required rate of 2.56.
Iyer and Rahul Steady the Innings
Shreyas Iyer scored 30 off 46 balls (4 fours, 1 six) before edging Jamieson to Latham on the last ball of the 20th over. Axar Patel, promoted up the order, made 7 off 17 before Jacob Duffy caught him off Fisher's bowling at 47/4.
| Batter | Runs | Balls | Boundaries |
|---|
| Shreyas Iyer | 30 | 46 | 4 fours, 1 six |
| Rohit Sharma | 23 | 28 | 2 fours, 2 sixes |
| KL Rahul | 14* | 21 | 2 fours, 1 six |
| Axar Patel | 7 | 17 | None |
India were 86/5 after 20 overs when rain stopped play. Their position was four runs ahead of the D/L par score, which settled the result.
Context: Conditions and Team Changes
The forecast showed a 55% chance of rain at the scheduled start, rising to 60% an hour later. Match officials reduced the game to 47 overs per side, and the stoppage later proved decisive.
New Zealand were without the injured Devon Conway, and Matt Fisher came in as a concussion replacement for Blair Tickner. India were without Nitish Kumar Reddy, who joined India A.
What the Numbers Suggest
India's bowlers took 10 wickets for 134 runs and conceded 3.27 runs per over. That level of control gave their top order a cushion despite losing 5 wickets for 86.
With a 2-0 lead, India need one more win to secure the series. Their top-order consistency remains the main concern, with three of the top four dismissed for 23 or fewer.