India Beats New Zealand by Five Wickets in Rain-Affected First ODI

India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the first ODI of the series at Eden Park in Auckland on November 4, 2026. The match was reduced by rain, and India reached the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs. Virat Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls, and Anshul Kamboj took 2 for 22 to earn player of the match.

New Zealand, electing to bat after losing the toss, were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Tim Seifert top-scored with 38, Blair Tickner made 34, and Glenn Phillips scored 30. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70 in 10 overs, Gurnoor Brar took 3 for 44 in 9.2 overs, and Kamboj returned 2 for 22 in 10 overs with two maidens. The Indian pace attack used the bounce available at Eden Park to restrict the hosts.

India's chase began after rain interruptions. Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck in the first over. Shubman Gill scored 37 off 56 balls before falling in the 19th over. Kohli then accelerated, striking 13 fours and one six. He was caught for 74 in the 20th over. Shreyas Iyer added 15, and Naman Dhir finished the match with a boundary. India reached 143 for 5 with 56 balls remaining under the DLS calculation for a 32-over innings.

Kohli's innings came a day before his 38th birthday. The surface offered variable bounce, and India's fielding and captaincy supported the bowlers. Jacob Duffy took 3 for 49 for New Zealand. The second ODI is scheduled for November 7 in Wellington.

The result gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The young pace unit, with first-choice bowlers rested or unavailable, showed control against a New Zealand side that had scored 259 in a recent T20I at the same venue. Rain reduced the chase but did not prevent India from completing it comfortably once the target was set.

Kamboj, preferred ahead of Mohammed Siraj, bowled economically and took key wickets. The performance reinforces the depth available in India's bowling resources ahead of future limited-overs assignments. New Zealand will look to adjust their approach against the bounce in the remaining matches.