India win rain-hit second ODI against New Zealand by four runs

Wellington, New Zealand witnessed an exciting rain-hit second One Day International (ODI) between India and New Zealand on Saturday, as India secured a four-run victory, taking a 2-0 series lead. The match was reduced to a maximum of 47 overs each due to wet conditions, which made batting conditions treacherous. India scored 113-7 off 26 overs before rain interrupted play, four runs ahead of the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern par score of 109.

KL Rahul and Auqib Nabi were at the crease when play was halted, with the duo having put India in a strong position. India will need one more win to complete the five-match series, heading into the third game in Hamilton on Tuesday. In the opening match of the series, India won in Auckland by five wickets on Wednesday when New Zealand were dismissed for 185.

Gurnoor Brar took career-best ODI figures of 4-30 and was named player of the match, claiming three wickets in both matches. He attributed his success to the helpful conditions in New Zealand, praising the bounce and pace. India struggled in their chase, suffering early blows from New Zealand seamer Jacob Duffy, who dismissed Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli, and paceman Kyle Jamieson, who removed Shreyas Iyer for a crucial 30.

Nabi claimed two crucial wickets for India, taking 2-31, while Daryl Mitchell and Mitchell Santner scored 55 and 31 for New Zealand. Overall, the Indian attack dominated the match, especially in the top-order, exploiting the challenging conditions to outplay their opponents.