Wellington, Nov 2026 : India won the toss and elected to bowl against New Zealand in the second ODI of the five-match series at the Hnry Stadium on Saturday, aiming to extend their lead to 2-0.
India entered the contest with a 1-0 advantage after securing a five-wicket victory in the rain-affected opening match at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday. The visitors produced an impressive bowling performance, with pacers Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj and Gurnoor Brar restricting New Zealand to 185 in 40.2 overs.
Virat Kohli then anchored the chase with a composed 74 off 51 balls, helping India reach the revised target comfortably and take the early lead in the series.
New Zealand suffered a setback ahead of the second match, with opener Devon Conway ruled out of the remainder of the series. Conway, who had missed the first ODI, sustained a concussion during a training session before the opening match.
Despite Mohammed Siraj joining the Indian squad ahead of Saturday's game, captain Shubman Gill opted to retain the same playing XI that delivered victory in Auckland. New Zealand also decided against making any changes to its combination.
Explaining his decision at the toss, Gill said the overcast conditions and the pitch having remained under covers made bowling first the preferred option.
“We will bowl first. No surprises, the conditions are overcast and the wicket was under covers. Yesterday's practice was called off because of rain, but we have prepared well and are in good spirits. Same team for us,” Gill said.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said his side would have preferred to bowl first but would focus on putting up a competitive total after losing the toss.
“Looks like a lovely day to bowl first, but we'll see how the wicket plays and put up a score. Rain around, it's been under covers, will do a bit,” Santner said.
He added that the team was looking forward to the contest after a period of rest and acknowledged India's strong performance in the opening game.
Both teams will be hoping to negotiate the weather conditions, which have already affected the series, and secure a crucial result.
Playing XIs
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Naman Dhir, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Arshdeep Singh.
New Zealand: Tim Seifert, Will Young, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner (captain), Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner.
