India edge New Zealand in rain-hit ODI thriller

India defeated New Zealand by four runs in a rain-affected second ODI in Wellington on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Rain reduced the match to 47 overs per side, creating treacherous batting conditions. New Zealand was unable to defend a total of 134, and India reached 113-7 after 26 overs when play ended, placing them four runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score of 109. KL Rahul and Aqib Nabi were at the crease at the conclusion of play.

Gurnoor Brar was named player of the match after taking career-best ODI figures of 4-30. Brar noted that the bounce and pace in New Zealand played into his strengths compared to the flatter pitches in India. This victory follows India's five-wicket win in the opening match in Auckland, where the home side was bowled out for 185. The series moves to Hamilton on Tuesday for the third game, where India needs only one more win to secure the series.

Brief written by urgent.news from Daily Times, Gulf News — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.