IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: Batters Exposed on Dancing Pitch?

India Beat New Zealand in Second ODI

India secured a four run win over New Zealand under the DLS method in the second ODI at Wellington on Saturday. Rain stopped play during India’s chase, but Team India were ahead of the par score when the match was called off.

The win gave Shubman Gill‘s team a 2-0 lead in the five match series, although both batting line ups struggled on a difficult surface.

New Zealand, who were asked to bat first, were bowled out for just 134 runs in 41 overs. NZ lost wickets regularly and were reduced to 23/3 inside the first 10 overs.

Daryl Mitchell was the top scorer with 55 runs off 104 balls, while captain Mitchell Santner added 31 off 38 deliveries. No other New Zealand batter managed to make a significant contribution as the Indian bowlers kept taking wickets.

Gurnoor Brar led India‘s bowling attack with four wickets for 30 runs in his 10 overs. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj picked up two wickets each, while Axar Patel also finished with two wickets.

The Indian bowlers made good use of the conditions and did not allow the New Zealand batters to build a big partnership. Their performance helped India restrict NZ to a low total.

India’s batting line up also struggled while chasing. Shubman Gill was dismissed for a golden duck by Jacob Duffy, who also removed Virat Kohli for seven.

Rohit Sharma scored 24 runs before Kyle Jamieson dismissed him. Axar Patel managed only seven runs, while Shreyas Iyer scored 30 off 46 balls. KL Rahul and Iyer added 39 runs for the fifth wicket, but New Zealand continued to take wickets as Naman Dhir and Anshul Kamboj also departed.

India were 113/7 after 26 overs when rain stopped play, with KL Rahul unbeaten on 26. The DLS par score at that stage was 109, leaving India four runs ahead. No further play was possible, and India were declared winners by four runs under the DLS method.

The result may have come through rain, but India’s bowlers had put them in a strong position by restricting New Zealand to 134. India will now look to continue their winning run in the third ODI.