In the first match of the five-ODI series played at Eden Park, the Indian team defeated New Zealand by 5 wickets, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. Arshdeep Singh’s brilliant bowling and a half-century from Virat Kohli played a crucial role in India’s victory. The match was interrupted twice due to rain. Following this, under the DLS method, India was set a revised target of 143 runs in 32 overs, which the team achieved in 22.4 overs for the loss of 5 wickets.
Rohit returns to the pavilion without opening his account
Chasing an initial target of 186 runs, the Indian team suffered an early blow with the loss of Rohit Sharma. Rohit was dismissed without scoring, with the team total at just 1 run. Subsequently, Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli steadied the innings and put the team in a strong position.
113-run partnership between Gill and Virat
Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli stitched together a 113-run partnership for the second wicket. At one stage, it appeared that India would cruise to a comfortable 9-wicket victory, but once this partnership was broken, the Indian team lost wickets in quick succession. Gill was dismissed for 37 off 56 balls with the team total at 114. Virat Kohli followed, scoring 74 runs off 51 balls—an innings that included one six and 13 fours—before returning to the pavilion as the third wicket at a score of 124.
Indian team loses wickets in quick succession
Following Virat’s dismissal, Axar Patel also fell without scoring, becoming the fourth wicket to fall at a team total of 124. Shortly after, Shreyas Iyer was dismissed for 15 off 13 balls, marking the fall of the fifth wicket at a total of 136. However, KL Rahul and Naman Dhir then took charge and steered the team to victory. Rahul (3*) and Naman Dhir (5*) remained unbeaten. India won the match by 5 wickets, reaching 143/5 in 22.4 overs. For New Zealand, Jacob Duffy took 3 wickets, while Kyle Jamieson and Nathan Smith claimed 1 wicket each.
New Zealand bundled out for 185
Earlier, put in to bat after losing the toss, New Zealand were bundled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Tim Seifert (38), Daryl Mitchell (28), and Glenn Phillips (30) were the key contributors for New Zealand, with Blair Tickner adding 34 and Jacob Duffy remaining unbeaten on 15. At one stage, New Zealand had lost 9 wickets for 146 runs; however, a 39-run partnership between Blair Tickner and Jacob Duffy for the final wicket took the team’s total to 185.
Arshdeep takes 4 wickets; Kamboj and Gurnoor also shine
For India, Arshdeep Singh bowled brilliantly, taking 4 wickets for 70 runs in his 10 overs. Anshul Kamboj bowled economically, conceding 22 runs—including 2 maidens—in his 10 overs while claiming 2 wickets. Gurnoor Brar took 3 wickets for 44 runs in 9.2 overs.
