Gurnoor Brar rebounds with 4/30 as India take 2-0 lead in New Zealand ODI series

Gurnoor Brar returned career-best ODI figures of 4/30 to earn Player of the Match as India beat New Zealand in Wellington in the second match of the five-match series on Saturday, November 7, with India registering a four-run victory under the DLS method to move 2-0 up.

After earlier difficult outings, the 6ft 5in pacer has produced strong performances in New Zealand, delivering notable spells in Auckland and Wellington. Brar had struggled in previous white-ball matches, conceding 96 runs in 10 overs while taking two wickets against the West Indies in Guwahati on September 30 and then giving 97 runs in 10 overs without a wicket against England at Lord's on July 19.

In the opening ODI at Eden Park in Auckland, Brar collected three wickets for 44 runs in 9.2 overs as India restricted New Zealand to 185. That display set the tone for his improved form in the series' early stages.

In Wellington, his wickets included Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips and Mitchell Santner as India bowled New Zealand out for 134; his spell was cited as instrumental in restricting the hosts. The performance earned Brar the Player of the Match award in a game decided by the DLS method.

Speaking in the post-match press conference, Brar credited senior teammates for their support: "I had open nets with Virat and Rohit bhai, and they gave me a lot of inputs. Shubman also guided me." He also reflected on tougher days earlier in the season, saying, "Matches in Guwahati and Lord's were demotivating, but it was important to learn from those experiences."

Brar has taken seven wickets across the two matches, making him India's leading wicket-taker in the series. India will next face New Zealand in the third ODI at Seddon Park in Hamilton on Tuesday, November 10.