INDIA beat New Zealand by four runs via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method in a rain-hit one-day international on Saturday (7) to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series after a pace-dominated contest.
Put in to bat, New Zealand struggled to gain any momentum in Wellington as India's pace attack dismantled the batting line-up and restricted the hosts to 134 in 41 overs, with the match reduced to 47 overs per side due to rain.
India stumbled early in the chase but Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul combined to wrest back control before rain halted play with the visitors on 113-7 and needing a further 22 runs for victory.
New Zealand's seamers, however, made India work hard for victory, turning what appeared to be a routine chase into a gripping, low-scoring contest.
Jacob Duffy struck with his first ball of the innings to dismiss India captain Shubman Gill for a golden duck before removing veteran Virat Kohli in his next over.
Rohit Sharma provided early momentum, but Kyle Jamieson's disciplined spell left India wobbling at 47-4 and revived New Zealand's hopes of a comeback.
Iyer's 30 off 46 helped to steady the chase, while Rahul stood firm as wickets tumbled around him and anchored the chase with an unbeaten 26 off 38 balls, including two fours and two sixes, before rain cut short the contest.
"I thought it'll be an easy target but it wasn't," Gill said. "The pitch was challenging and we lost two extra wickets than we'd have liked... but happy we got there in the end."
The hosts had earlier left themselves with little margin for error after India's pacers ripped through the top order.
Auqib Nabi put New Zealand on the back foot with two early strikes, removing openers Tim Seifert and Will Young. Seifert's dismissal also marked the right-armer's maiden international wicket.
The hosts were reeling at 53-3 when Gurnoor Brar tightened India's grip with a double-wicket maiden, removing Tom Latham and the in-form Glenn Phillips.
Daryl Mitchell offered the only meaningful resistance for New Zealand, scoring 55 off 104 balls after earning a reprieve on 21 when Gill spilled a straightforward chance at cover, while captain Mitchell Santner chipped in with 31 off 38.
"It was a tricky wicket, there was no hiding," Santner said. "It was one of those wickets where the seamers were posing a challenge. It was a tough wicket but we could've scraped to 160-180."
Brar was named player of the match with figures of 4-30, while Nabi, Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel claimed two wickets apiece.
The five-match series moves to Hamilton on Tuesday (10).
(Reuters)
