Rain halts chase but India clinch second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington
India beat New Zealand in the second ODI in Wellington on November 7, 2026, when rain stopped play with India on 113/7 while chasing 135, leaving them four runs clear of the DLS par score and sealing a 2-0 series lead.
The contest had been reduced to 47 overs per side after overnight rain delayed the start, and conditions favoured the seamers as India bowled New Zealand out for 134 in 41 overs to set a target of 135. India’s bowlers dominated through the innings, producing pressure that the visitors struggled to handle on a pitch that offered occasional variable bounce and stopping deliveries.
Auqib Nabi claimed his first international wickets, removing Tim Seifert for a duck and Will Young for six to leave New Zealand 11/2, and Anshul Kamboj bowled Henry Nicholls for 11 as the hosts slipped to 23/3 inside nine overs; Kamboj finished with 2/25 from eight overs. Tom Latham was out for seven and Glenn Phillips top-edged a short delivery to Anshul Kamboj at fine leg as New Zealand slid to 53/5, with Gurnoor Brar striking twice in the same over.
Gurnoor later removed Nathan Smith and Mitchell Santner to complete career-best figures of 4/30 from 10 overs, while Nabi finished with 2/31 and Axar Patel returned 2/28. Daryl Mitchell and Santner rebuilt briefly with a 59-run stand for the sixth wicket — Mitchell made 55 off 104 balls and Santner 31 off 38 — but Axar removed Mitchell with a mistimed loft and also bowled Kyle Jamieson as Kamboj and Gurnoor cleaned up the tail.
India’s chase began poorly: Shubman Gill fell for a golden duck, Virat Kohli made seven and Rohit Sharma scored 17. Axar Patel departed attempting a ramp, picked out third man for seven and left India 40/4; Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul added 46 for the fifth wicket to take the score to 86/5, with Iyer finishing 30 off 46.
Naman Dhir made 12 and Anshul Kamboj one before rain stopped play at 113/7 after 26 overs, with Rahul unbeaten on 23; the DLS par score was 109. India’s bowlers had also applied sustained control, sending down 176 dot balls in the match and keeping the scoring in check — Arshdeep Singh went wicketless but produced an economical spell of 7-1-16-0.
The victory gives India a 2-0 lead in the series but again exposed concerns about the middle order after the top order failed early in Wellington. With the 2027 ODI World Cup in sight, the source said the middle order needs better judgement and the temperament to close out games.