Virat Kohli 74, Arshdeep Singh four wickets lead India to victory against New Zealand in rain-hit ODI

Virat Kohli continued his remarkable run in the 50-over format with a brilliant 74 as India beat New Zealand by five wickets in the rain-affected first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday. The visitors set a revised Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) target of 143 in 22.4 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.Kohli, who turns 38 on Thursday, brought up his 80th half-century in ODIs with another impressive batting display in the run chase. The former India captain stepped in after Rohit Sharma departed for a six-ball duck in the opener and immediately took charge of rebuilding the innings.The veteran batsman joined captain Shubman Gill at the wicket and the pair stitched a match-defining partnership of 113 runs for the second wicket. While Gill played a supporting role with a composed 37, Kohli took charge of the chase, regularly finding boundaries and keeping the required run rate in check.New Zealand pacer Jacob Duffy took three wickets for 49 runs to briefly bring the hosts back into the contest. However, India did enough damage with the Kohli-Gill partnership and Naman Dhir eventually hit the winning boundary to seal the win.India finished on 143/5 in 22.4 overs to secure a five-wicket win and move ahead in the series.

India’s fast attack dismantles New Zealand

Earlier, India’s young pace attack put in an impressive performance to bowl out New Zealand for 185 in 40.2 overs after Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field. Arshdeep Singh led the bowling effort with four wickets while Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj provided excellent support to keep the home side under constant pressure on the lively Eden Park surface.Arshdeep struck early to remove Will Young for nine before sending Henry Nicholls back to the pavilion for the same score. The left-arm spinner made consistent use of the bounce on offer and prevented New Zealand’s top order from building momentum.Tim Seifert offered some resistance with a 38-run knock-off off 43 deliveries that included three boundaries and two sixes. However, Gurnoor Brar eventually ended his stay with a short delivery as substitute fielder Ruturaj Gaikwad completed the catch.Brar continued to trouble the New Zealand batsmen with his pace and bounce. He also dismissed Tom Latham for three with a crisp return catch, leaving the hosts struggling at 84/4.Daryl Mitchell tried to stabilize the innings alongside Glenn Phillips but their partnership was broken after a run involving Rohit Sharma and KL Rahul. Mitchell departed for 28 while Phillips managed 30 off 51 deliveries before being dismissed by Arshdeep.Anshul Kamboj was particularly impressive in the middle overs, keeping things tight with his disciplined line and length. The Haryana pacer dismissed New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner for four before dismissing Nathan Smith for one, finishing with figures of 2/22 in 10 overs, including two maidens.Kamboj conceded just 22 runs in his full quota, maintaining an economy of 2.20 and delivering 46 balls. His spell was among the most economical 10-over performances by an Indian fast bowler in recent years.New Zealand’s lower order tried to push the score to 200, with Blair Tickner launching an aggressive counter-attack. The pacer smashed 34 off just 23 deliveries, including four sixes, but his efforts were not enough to get the hosts past 185.Arshdeep finished with 4/70, Brar claimed 3/44 while Kamboj returned 2/22 as India wrapped up New Zealand’s innings in 40.2 overs.

Indian chase disrupted by rain interruptions

India’s chase was interrupted by multiple rain delays, with the target eventually revised to 143 in 32 overs under the DLS method. The visitors suffered an early setback when Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck by Kyle Jamieson in the opening over. However, Gill and Kohli ensured that no further damage was done during the initial phase of the chase.The win gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series.