India defeat New Zealand by five wickets in first ODI

India secured a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against New Zealand with a five-wicket victory at Eden Park in Auckland. The match was affected by rain, leading to a revised target under the DLS method.

New Zealand was restricted to 185 runs in 40.2 overs by a disciplined Indian bowling attack. Arshdeep Singh led the effort with four wickets for 70 runs, while Gurnoor Brar claimed three wickets. Anshul Kamboj was named Player of the Match after returning figures of 2 for 22 in 10 overs, an economy rate that matches the best by an Indian fast bowler in an ODI since Jasprit Bumrah in 2016.

In response, India chased a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs. Despite an early dismissal of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli scored a commanding 74 off 51 balls, supported by captain Shubman Gill, who made 37. Kohli’s performance included reaching a milestone as the first batter to score 13,000 ODI runs while batting at number three.