Gurnoor Brar claimed four wickets to bowl New Zealand out for 134 in the rain-hit second ODI. KL Rahul remained unbeaten on 26 as India reached 113/7 before rain stopped play, securing a four-run DLS victory
Wellington: India’s star-studded batting line-up suffered early jitters before KL Rahul ensured that the young fast-bowling unit’s superb show did not go to waste, guiding India to a hard-fought four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected, low-scoring second ODI here on Saturday.
India lead the five-match series 2-0, with the third match scheduled to be played in Hamilton on Tuesday.
Chasing 135 in 47 overs, India were 113 for seven in 26 overs when rain interrupted play, with Rahul unbeaten on 26. The DLS par score at the time was 109. The match was subsequently called off, giving the visitors the win.
It was the strapping Gurnoor Brar who recorded career-best figures of four for 30. He was ably supported by Auqib Nabi (2/31 in seven overs) and Anshul Kamboj (2/25 in eight overs). The trio clinically dismantled the Black Caps, bowling them out for 134 in just 41 overs.
With the pitch aiding bounce and movement, the chase became much tougher than expected. Skipper Shubman Gill (0) was caught in the slip cordon off the very first ball he faced from Jacob Duffy. Duffy then dismissed his Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) teammate Virat Kohli (7), who drove uppishly, allowing the fielder at short cover to take a simple catch.
Rohit Sharma (23 off 28 balls) played one confident flick for six but generally looked uncomfortable against deliveries that moved and beat his bat repeatedly.
He also attempted an expansive shot and was caught in the slips. Axar Patel (7) played a false ramp shot, while Shreyas Iyer (30), after doing all the hard work, fell to a short ball once again.
Rahul, who played 18 dot balls in his first 20 deliveries, hit two pull shots — one kept down and the other deliberately hit in the air for a six.
With the scoreboard pressure not particularly high, Rahul absorbed the pressure and calmly guided the team towards the target. Once he hit Duffy for a second six to take India past the 100-run mark, there was no looking back, even as he lost Naman Dhir (12) and Anshul Kamboj at the other end.
Earlier, Brar once again troubled New Zealand’s experienced batting line-up with raw pace and disconcerting bounce, while Nabi got the ball to seam in his first spell and Kamboj (2/25 in eight overs) bowled a probing line.
Brar used the short-ball tactic to perfection, cutting through the Black Caps’ middle order with surgical precision.
Arshdeep Singh (0/16 in seven overs) also bowled accurate lines and remained economical during his opening spell and in the middle overs.
In all, the Indian bowlers sent down as many as 176 dot balls.
This came after Gill once again called correctly at the toss and opted to make full use of the overcast conditions and underlying moisture, with steady rain reducing the match to 47 overs per side.
It was Nabi who drew first blood when Tim Seifert (0) mistimed a delivery that held up as he attempted to check his uppish drive. Kamboj dived forward at mid-wicket to give Nabi his first international wicket.
Will Young (6 off 17 balls) struggled, playing and missing several deliveries before being dismissed.
It was a beautiful delivery in the off-stump channel that appeared to move in the air before deviating slightly after pitching, inducing an edge from Young.
Henry Nicholls (11 off 26 balls) also struggled for half an hour before Kamboj ended his stay in the ninth over.
The Haryana pacer moved slightly wide of the crease and fired in a delivery that cramped the southpaw for room. The ball hurried on to him quicker than he expected, and he played it on to his stumps.
New Zealand were reduced to 29 for three in the opening powerplay.
After the powerplay, it was Brar’s turn to bounce the batters out as he took two wickets in a maiden over, dismissing Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips with perfectly executed short-pitched deliveries.
In Latham’s case, it was a wide bouncer that the batter had to reach for, while the delivery to Phillips was directed at his body. Both offered easy catches, leaving New Zealand reeling at 53 for five.
Daryl Mitchell (55 off 104 balls), who was dropped by skipper Gill, had skipper Mitchell Santner (31 off 38 balls) for company in a 59-run stand that was never likely to be enough to revive the innings.
