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

Match Result at Eden Park

India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the first One-Day International of their series at Eden Park in Auckland on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Rain interruptions revised India's target to 143 in 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. India reached the target in 22.4 overs, losing five wickets, with 56 balls remaining.

Anshul Kamboj was named player of the match for his figures of 2 for 22 from 10 overs, including two maidens. The match gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.

Bowling Performance

India won the toss and elected to bowl. The pace attack of Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, and Anshul Kamboj did the bulk of the work. Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70. Gurnoor Brar, the 6-foot-5 seamer, took 3 for 44. Kamboj returned 2 for 22. The trio used bounce and short-pitched bowling effectively against a New Zealand side that had scored 259 for 7 in a T20 match only five days earlier.

Tim Seifert top-scored for New Zealand with 38. Blair Tickner made 34. Other batters struggled against the movement and bounce. Virat Kohli took a diving one-handed catch at second slip to dismiss Nathan Smith off Kamboj. Rohit Sharma effected a diving run-out of Daryl Mitchell. Captain Shubman Gill said the bowling and fielding had been strong throughout.

Kohli's Innings

India lost Rohit Sharma for a duck in the first over. Shubman Gill and Virat Kohli then added 113 for the second wicket. Gill scored 37 off 56 balls. Kohli, a day before his 38th birthday, made 74 off 51 balls with 13 fours and one six. He struck his 80th ODI half-century. His shots included cover drives, mid-wicket whips, and pull shots. Jacob Duffy eventually dismissed him, caught by Seifert at deep square leg. Duffy finished with 3 for 49.

The chase was comfortable despite the rain breaks. Kohli's intensity did not drop through the interruptions. The partnership with Gill controlled the required rate.

Series Context

The result comes early in the five-match ODI series. India's first-choice fast bowlers were unavailable for workload or injury reasons, so the younger or less-experienced pace options carried the attack. Their performance, combined with Kohli's controlled aggression and Gill's support, produced a straightforward victory on a surface that assisted seam movement. New Zealand will look to adjust their approach against the short ball in the remaining matches. India take a lead and the confidence of a clinical bowling display followed by a measured chase.