India beat New Zealand by four runs to take 2-0 ODI lead

WELLINGTON: India moved closer to a series victory after securing a thrilling four-run win over New Zealand in a rain-affected second One-Day International (ODI), taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series on Saturday.

The visitors held their nerve in challenging conditions at Wellington, where rain reduced the match to a maximum of 47 overs per side and made batting increasingly difficult.

Chasing a modest target of 135, India were struggling at 113-7 after 26 overs when rain brought the contest to an end. However, they were four runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) par score of 109, handing them a narrow victory.

KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 26, while Auqib Nabi was batting on one when play was abandoned. Their contribution proved crucial in keeping India ahead of the required DLS target.

New Zealand’s bowling attack initially put India under tremendous pressure. Jacob Duffy produced a superb spell, dismissing captain Shubman Gill for a golden duck and Virat Kohli for just seven runs to leave the visitors struggling.

Kyle Jamieson also claimed three wickets for 35 runs, including the important dismissal of top-scorer Shreyas Iyer, who made 30. India were subsequently reduced to 86-5.

Earlier, New Zealand were bowled out for 134 in 41 overs after struggling against India’s disciplined pace attack.

Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 55, while captain Mitchell Santner contributed 31. No other New Zealand batter managed to cross 11 runs as the home side struggled against unpredictable bounce and disciplined bowling.

Gurnoor Brar led India’s attack with impressive figures of 4-30, including a crucial double strike against Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips in the 20th over.

Auqib Nabi also made an impact, claiming his first two international wickets by removing openers Will Young and Tim Seifert to finish with 2-31.

India had already won the opening ODI in Auckland by five wickets after bowling New Zealand out for 185.

With a 2-0 advantage, India now need just one more victory to seal the five-match series. The third ODI is scheduled to take place in Hamilton on Tuesday.