New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner, left, and Jacob Duffy (Image: AP)
The defeat not only handed India a 2-0 lead in the five-match series but also took New Zealand’s tally of losses against India to 11 in 2026, their most defeats against a single opponent in a calendar year. Daryl Mitchell top-scored with 55 off 104 balls, while Mitchell Santner contributed 31 as the pair added 59 runs for the sixth wicket. Brar finished with 4/30, while Nabi, Anshul Kamboj and Axar Patel picked up two wickets each. Shreyas Iyer (30 off 46) and KL Rahul (26* off 38) attempted to rebuild the innings, but India slipped to 113/7 before rain interrupted play. The loss leaves New Zealand trailing 0-2 in the five-match series, with the hosts needing a turnaround in Hamilton to keep their hopes alive.
With the visitors ahead on the DLS par score, India secured a four-run victory. India continued their dominance over New Zealand, leaving the hosts staring at an unwanted piece of history after a four-run victory via the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the second ODI in Wellington on Saturday.