India go 2-0 up as bowlers dominate rain-curtailed encounter in Wellington
Rain Gods forced an anticlimactic finish to a thriller in Wellington as India secured their second win of the ongoing ODI series. The Indian bowlers put up a clinical show, led by Gurnoor Brar in a game shortened to 47 overs after rain played an instrumental part in shaping the beginning of the game. Eventually after much tug of war, the Men in Blue finished just ahead of the finish line before rain interrupted again, compelling the match to end.
Winning the toss, India opted to bowl first in Wellington. Auqib Nabi bagged his first international wicket as he sent Tim Seifert (0) packing in the very second over of the innings, getting India into the driverβs seat early. Nabi doubled down the charge by dismissing Will Young (6) in short succession too.
Following Auqib Nabi's footsteps, Anshul Kamboj extended his fine run to the second ODI as well, removing Henry Nicholls (11) as New Zealand wobbled at 23/3. The Kiwis found some stability with Tom Latham who anchored one end while Daryll Mitchell regulated the innings.
Latham (7) was part of a 30-run partnership to propel the New Zealand innings alongside Mitchell. Gurnoor Brar joined the Indian act of dominance, claiming the wicket of Latham while the same over saw him remove Glenn Phillips before the latter could open his scoring.
Stuttering at 53/5, New Zealand needed a desperate stand and eventually Mitchell came forth, steadying the ship. Daryll Mitchell and the Kiwi captain, Mitchell Santner added 62 runs for the sixth wicket. Axar Patel broke the stand, dismissing Mitchell for 55. Santner soon followed, falling to Gurnoor Brar for 31. From there, it was just a formality for the Men in Blue.
They bundled out New Zealand for 134. Gurnoor Brar was the pick of the lot with scintillating figures of 10-2-30-4. He had perfect support from Auqib Nabi, Axar Patel and Anshul Kamboj, who claimed two wickets each.
With 135 to win on a tricky surface from 47 overs, India had a shaky start. Shubman Gill (0), Virat Kohli (7), Rohit Sharma (23) and Axar Patel (7) were gone in no time, leaving India shaky. Eventually, Indian captain, Shreyas Iyer (30), came together with KL Rahul to knit together a crucial 39-run stand before falling to Kyle Jamieson.
An incoming Naman Dhir looked in control during his stay in the center, scoring 12 off 16. However, India got another jolt, losing two wickets in quick succession, suddenly hampering their charge. Rahul stayed unbeaten in the center, powering India to 113/7 from 26 overs before the heavens opened again.
After rain intensified in Wellington, the umpires decided to call it a day, invoking the DLS method, which saw India coming out on top by a margin of four runs. Gurnoor Brar was adjudged the Player of the Match for his brilliant spell with the ball.
