India survived a late scare to beat New Zealand by four runs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-affected second ODI in Wellington on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. It was the second successive match in which rain had the final say, and the second in which India won despite scoring fewer runs than the hosts.
New Zealand were bowled out for 134 in 41 overs after India won the toss and chose to field. Gurnoor Brar led the attack with career-best figures of four for 30, including a double-wicket maiden in the 20th over that removed Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips and left the hosts reeling at 53 for five. Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj took two wickets each as the young Indian pace attack bowled with discipline on a pitch where bounce troubled the batters.
Chasing 135 in a match reduced to 47 overs a side, India’s star-studded batting line-up suffered early jitters. The tourists slipped to 113 for seven in 26 overs, with Shreyas Iyer top-scoring with 30, Rohit Sharma making 23 and KL Rahul unbeaten on 26 when the rain arrived for the final time. At that point the DLS par score was 109, leaving India four runs ahead, and when play could not resume before the cut-off time, the umpires called the match off and declared India the winners.
Brar was named Player of the Match for his outstanding bowling performance, which set the tone for the win. His spell was the second match-winning effort in as many games from India’s young fast bowlers, after Arshdeep Singh took four for 70 in the series opener, when New Zealand were bowled out for 185.
The result continues a remarkable pattern in the series. India have now won both matches despite scoring fewer runs than New Zealand in each, with rain and the DLS calculation deciding both games in the visitors’ favour. Fans on social media noted the quirk, but within the camp the focus will be on the bowling, which has dismissed New Zealand for 185 and 134 in successive matches.
Former India player Ajay Jadeja, previewing the third ODI, suggested the team could consider resting Arshdeep Singh, who has bowled extremely well through the tour, to give Mohammed Siraj a game. Shubman Gill and KL Rahul are set to miss the last two ODIs to prepare for the subsequent two-match Test series against the same opponents.
The teams now move to Hamilton, where the third ODI will be played at Seddon Park on Tuesday, November 10. India will look to seal the series with two matches to spare, while New Zealand, who have competed well in patches, will need their batting to find a way past an Indian pace attack that has dominated the series so far.
