India continued their commanding form in the ongoing five-match ODI series, securing a tense four-run victory over New Zealand via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in Wellington on Saturday. The result extended India's series lead to 2-0 and condemned the hosts to a significant piece of unwanted history.
The defeat marked New Zealand's 11th loss to India across all formats in 2026, the highest number of defeats the Black Caps have ever suffered against a single opponent in a calendar year. This record surpasses their previous mark of 10 losses against Australia in 2005 and nine against England in 2008. Furthermore, the back-to-back home losses mirror a difficult period for the side, reminiscent of their home series defeat to India in 2019.
India's Pace Attack Dominates Opening Innings
The foundation for India's victory was laid by a clinical performance from their fast-bowling unit, which dismantled the New Zealand batting lineup for just 134 runs in 41 overs.
Auqib Nabi also made a notable contribution, striking twice and securing his maiden international wicket. Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel provided effective support, each claiming two wickets to stifle any momentum. For the hosts, Daryl Mitchell offered some resistance with a top score of 55 from 104 deliveries, while Mitchell Santner added 31. The pair combined for a 59-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but it was not enough to set a challenging target.
New Zealand Fight Back Before Rain Intervention
Despite the modest target, New Zealand’s bowlers mounted a spirited defense. Jacob Duffy provided an electric start by dismissing Shubman Gill for a golden duck and removing Virat Kohli shortly after. Kyle Jamieson continued the pressure, reducing the visitors to 47/4 and threatening a dramatic turnaround.
Shreyas Iyer, who scored 30 from 46 balls, and KL Rahul, who remained unbeaten on 26, attempted to stabilize the chase. However, India found themselves at 113/7 when rain forced a premature end to the contest. Because the visitors were ahead of the DLS par score at the time of the interruption, they were awarded the win. New Zealand now faces a must-win situation in the third ODI in Hamilton to keep the series alive.
