India edge NZ via DLS in rain-hit 2nd ODI, take 2-0 lead

India held their nerve in a rain-hit second ODI to beat New Zealand by four runs via the Duckworth-Lewis method in Wellington on Saturday and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

IMAGE: KL Rahul during India’s second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington.Photograph: BCCI

Gill, Kohli Fall Early In Chase

India’s star-studded batting line-up suffered initial jitters before KL Rahul didn’t let a young fast bowling unit’s superb show go waste, ensuring a hard-fought four-wicket win over New Zealand in a rain-affected low-scoring second ODI in Wellington on Saturday.

India lead the five-match series 2-0 with the third match in Hamilton scheduled on Tuesday.

Rahul Holds Firm Amid Batting Collapse

Chasing 135 in 47 overs, India were 113 for seven in 26 overs when heavens opened up with Rahul unbeaten on 26. The DLS par-score at the time was 109 before the match was called-off, giving the visitors the all-important win.

Sent in to bat, the trio of Gurnoor Brar, who recorded career-best figures of four for 30, Auqib Nabi (2/31 in 7 overs), and Anshul Kamboj (2/25 in 8 overs), clinically decimated the Black Caps for 134 in just 41 overs.

Rain Seals India’s 2-0 Series Lead

IMAGE: New Zealand’s players during the second ODI. Photograph: BCCI

With pitch aiding bounce and movement, the chase became way more tough than expected. Skipper Shubman Gill (0) was caught in the slip cordon off the very first ball that he faced from Jacob Duffy. Duffy then got his RCB teammate Virat Kohli (7) to drive uppishly and short cover took a simple catch.

Rohit Sharma (23 off 28 balls) played one confident flick shot for six but looked uncomfortable against moving deliveries that beat his bat more often than not.

He also tried an expansive shot to be caught in the slip. Axar Patel (7) played a false ramp shot while Shreyas Iyer (30), after doing all the hard work, fell to the short ball again.

Rahul, who played 18 dots in his first 20 balls, hit two pull-shots — one that was kept down and the other was deliberately hit up for a six.

With scoreboard pressure not being there, Rahul could soak in the pressure while calmly taking team past the finish line. Once Rahul hit Duffy for a second six to get his team past 100-run mark, there was no looking back even as he lost Naman Dhir (12) and Anshul Kamboj at the other end.

Brar’s Fiery Spell Rattles New Zealand

IMAGE: Gurnoor Brar celebrates the wicket of Mitchell Santner. Photograph: BCCI

Gurnoor Brar once again scared the daylights out of a seasoned New Zealand batting unit with raw pace and disconcerting bounce as India’s inexperienced attack sent the hosts packing for a meagre total.

IMAGE: Anshul Kamboj of India celebrates the wicket of Henry Nicholls. Photograph: BCCI

Nabi got the ball to seam in his first spell while Kamboj once again bowled a probing line before the most exciting of them all, the towering Brar used the short ball tactic to perfection, cutting through the Black Caps middle-order with surgical precision.

Arshdeep Singh (0/16 in 7 overs) also bowled accurate lines and remained parsimonious through his opening spell and in the middle overs.

In all, Indian bowlers sent down as many as 176 dot balls.

This was after Shubman Gill once again called correctly at the toss and opted to make full use of the overcast conditions and underlying moisture after steady downpour reduced the game to 47-overs-a-side.

Nabi, Kamboj Strike Early As NZ Lose Three

IMAGE: Auqib Nabi celebrates after taking the wicket of Will Young. Photograph: BCCI

It was Nabi who drew first blood when Tim Seifert (0) found a delivery holding a bit as he tried to check his uppish drive. Kamboj dived in-front at mid-wicket to present Nabi with his first international wicket.

Will Young (6 off 17 balls) struggled as he played and missed a lot of deliveries only to be dismissed soon after.

It was a beautiful delivery on the off-stump channel that looked like moving in through the air before moving a shade after pitching, inducing the edge from Young.

India’s Bowlers Dominate With 176 Dot Balls

IMAGE: Auqib Nabi celebrates with team-mates after taking the wicket of Tim Seifert. Photograph: BCCI

Henry Nicholls (11 off 26 balls) also scratched around for half an hour before Kamboj ended his misery in the ninth over of the innings.

The Haryana pacer moved slightly wide off the crease and fired one in cramping the southpaw for room. The ball hurried onto him quicker than he expected and he played on.

New Zealand were reduced to 29 for three in the opening powerplay. Post powerplay, it was Brar’s turn to bounce the batters out as he enjoyed a double wicket maiden over getting both Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips with perfectly executed short pitched deliveries.

In case of Latham, it was a wide bouncer which batter had to reach while in case of Phillips, it was aimed at him. Both offered easy skiers to have New Zealand looking down the barrel 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 going to be enough for a resurrection.

IMAGE: Gurnoor Brar celebrates the wicket of Tom Latham. Photograph: BCCI

Mitchell, who had to curb his natural stroke-making instincts while hitting those occasional sixes, was holed out when Axar Patel (2/28 in 9 overs) got him to mistime a lofted drive.

Santner, who looked uncomfortable against Brar, tried to shuffle towards leg to make room, expecting another short ball at his body. Brar, cleverly pitched it up and the thick edge became a regulation catch for Rahul behind the stumps.