India survived a batting wobble and a Wellington downpour to beat New Zealand by four runs on the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in the second one-day international on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Rain ended the match with India on 113 for 7 after 26 overs, four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109, after the bowlers had dismissed the hosts for 134.
The win, sealed at the cut-off time after persistent rain made further play impossible, was far tighter than it should have been. India’s seamers had done almost everything right to bowl New Zealand out cheaply, but a top-order collapse left the chase hanging in the balance when the weather intervened.
Brar’s career-best sets it up
Put in to bat after India won the toss and chose to bowl, New Zealand never found any momentum in difficult, seam-friendly conditions. The match had already been reduced to 47 overs per side because of rain before a ball was bowled, and the shortened game only sharpened the contest.
Auqib Nabi put the hosts on the back foot with two early strikes, removing openers Tim Seifert and Will Young. Seifert’s dismissal was Nabi’s maiden international wicket. New Zealand were reeling at 53 for 3 when Gurnoor Brar tightened India’s grip with a double-wicket maiden, removing Tom Latham and the in-form Glenn Phillips.
Daryl Mitchell offered the only meaningful resistance for New Zealand, scoring 55 off 104 balls after earning a reprieve on 21 when Shubman Gill spilled a straightforward chance at cover. Captain Mitchell Santner chipped in with 31 off 38, but the rest of the batting line-up folded. Brar finished as the pick of the Indian bowlers with career-best figures of 4 for 30 from his 10 overs, while Nabi, Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel claimed two wickets apiece.
New Zealand’s 134 was their lowest total of the series so far, and a long way short of a competitive score even on a helpful pitch. In the first ODI in Auckland on Wednesday, India had bowled the hosts out for 185 and won by five wickets.
A chase that nearly unravelled
Chasing 135, India stumbled almost immediately. Jacob Duffy struck with the first ball of the innings to dismiss Gill for a golden duck, then removed Virat Kohli in his next over. Rohit Sharma provided some early momentum, but Kyle Jamieson’s disciplined spell left India wobbling at 47 for 4 and revived New Zealand’s hopes of a comeback.
Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul then combined to wrest back control. Iyer’s 30 off 46 balls helped revive the chase, while Rahul stood firm as wickets tumbled around him, anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 26 off 38 balls, including two fours and two sixes.
Even so, New Zealand’s seamers made India work hard for every run, turning what had looked like a routine chase into a gripping, low-scoring contest. When rain halted play, India were 113 for 7 and still needed a further 22 runs for victory — but they were four runs ahead of the DLS par score, and that was enough.
“Rain taketh what rain giveth.” That was ESPNcricinfo’s verdict on a match in which 15 wickets fell to fast bowlers, only 247 runs were scored, and there was no outright finish — just a four-run margin decided by the weather.
Scorecard
| Team | Score | Top scorer | Best bowling |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand | 134 all out (41 overs) | Daryl Mitchell 55; Mitchell Santner 31 | Gurnoor Brar 4-30; Auqib Nabi 2-31; Anshul Kamboj 2-25; Axar Patel 2-28 |
| India | 113-7 (26 overs) | Shreyas Iyer 30; KL Rahul 26* | Jacob Duffy 3-35; Kyle Jamieson 3-35 |
Result: India won by four runs (DLS method). DLS par score at the interruption was 109. Brar was named player of the match.
How DLS decided it: When rain ends a limited-overs match, the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method calculates a par score based on the runs scored, wickets lost and overs remaining. A team ahead of par when play is abandoned wins by the difference. India were on 113 for 7 after 26 overs of a 47-over chase; par was 109, so India won by four runs.
What the result means
India now lead the five-match series 2-0 and need only one more win to wrap it up. The third ODI is in Hamilton on Tuesday, and New Zealand must win there to keep the series alive.
For New Zealand, the concern is the batting. Two matches in a row, their top order has been dismantled by India’s seam attack in helpful conditions, and on Saturday even a modest target of 135 proved almost beyond India’s own batters once Duffy and Jamieson found their rhythm. The hosts will need a much stronger batting performance in Hamilton, where the conditions are likely to be kinder.
For India, the win papers over a batting performance that nearly wasted an outstanding bowling display. Gill’s golden duck, Kohli’s early departure and the slide to 47 for 4 will be a talking point, but Rahul’s composure under pressure — unbeaten when the rain came — was the difference between a win and a defeat decided by the weather.
Frequently asked questions
Why was the match only 47 overs per side?
Rain disrupted play before the first ball was bowled in Wellington, so the match was reduced from 50 overs per side to 47. Further rain then ended the contest during India’s chase.
How did India win by four runs if they needed 22 more?
Because rain stopped play, the result was decided by the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. With India on 113 for 7 after 26 overs, the DLS par score was 109 — India were four runs ahead of par, so they were declared winners by four runs.
Who was player of the match?
Gurnoor Brar, for his career-best 4 for 30, including a double-wicket maiden that removed Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips and broke New Zealand’s innings open.
When is the next match?
The third ODI of the five-match series is in Hamilton on Tuesday. India need one more win to seal the series; New Zealand must win to stay in it.
Key takeaways
- India beat New Zealand by four runs via the DLS method in a rain-hit second ODI in Wellington, taking a 2-0 series lead.
- Gurnoor Brar’s career-best 4 for 30 helped bowl New Zealand out for 134, with Daryl Mitchell’s 55 the only half-century of the match.
- India’s chase wobbled badly — 47 for 4 after early strikes from Jacob Duffy and Kyle Jamieson — before Shreyas Iyer (30) and an unbeaten KL Rahul (26*) steadied it.
- Rain ended play with India on 113 for 7, four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109.
- The series moves to Hamilton on Tuesday, where India can seal it with one more win.
India will head to Hamilton knowing their bowlers have the measure of New Zealand’s batting in these conditions — and knowing their own top order cannot afford another collapse. New Zealand, meanwhile, need a win to keep the series alive, and a batting performance to match the fight their bowlers showed in Wellington.
