Mumbai Indians

It was India’s attack that set the tone for a low-scoring thriller, although New Zealand’s bowlers had their say too, but ultimately, the game went in the Men in Blue’s favour after the weather stepped in.

New Zealand bowled out for 134 

Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first in a reduced 47-over ODI, extending India’s run of luck with the coin throughout the tour. New Zealand never recovered from a brutal powerplay, Auqib Nabi removing Tim Seifert and Will Young inside the first six overs, Anshul Kamboj striking in his very first over too, and the Black Caps slipped to 29/3 after 10 overs. Gurnoor Brar was the standout bowler through the middle overs, running through Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, skipper Mitchell Santner, and Blair Tickner. Darryl Mitchell’s fighting 55 was the lone bright spot, but New Zealand were bowled out for just 134 in 41 overs.

Rohit’s cameo, Kohli’s quiet milestone

Chasing looked straightforward on paper, it was anything but. Rohit Sharma got off the mark with a crisp boundary square on the off side, but Gill fell in the very first over, caught in the slip off Zak Duffy. Virat Kohli came and went for just seven, caught at mid-off, though that knock quietly made him the highest scorer in ODI history against New Zealand at 1978 runs. Our Hitman, albeit briefly, was box-office. Two fours and two sixes in a breezy 23, he pulled and flicked with ease before Kyle Jamieson finally had his man at the end of the powerplay. India were 40/3, still ahead of the rate but with the momentum shifting fast.

NZ’s pacers hit back 

New Zealand’s pacers made sure it never swung back. Jamieson was the pick of the attack, finishing with 3 for 35, and Duffy chipped in with three of his own as Axar Patel, Shreyas Iyer, and Naman Dhir all fell in the middle overs. Shreyas’s 30 kept India in touch, and a 39-run stand with KL Rahul was the closest thing to stability India found all innings, but by the time Jamieson struck again at 111/7, it had turned into a proper contest.

Rain played spoilt sport

Rain had the final word. Play was called off after 26 overs with India at 113/7, the DLS par score sitting at 109, and the match was eventually abandoned with India declared winners by four runs. KL Rahul’s unbeaten 26 held things together when little else did. India now leads the series 2-0.

Brief Scores:
New Zealand 134 all out in 41 overs (Darryl Mitchell 55, Mitchell Santner 31; Gurnoor Brar 4/30) lost to India 113/7 in 26 overs (Shreyas Iyer 30, KL Rahul 26*; Kyle Jamieson 3/35) by four runs (DLS method).