Cricket
Associated Press

Black Caps sink to defeat against India after rain dominates second ODI

11:55pm
Daryl Mitchell was NZ's leading run scorer with 55.

Even the rain in Wellington couldn't stop India from powering to a second ODI win against the Black Caps.

The visitors easily took the victory, finishing on 113 runs while only requiring 110 after DLS.

Although the NZ bowlers played well to take seven wickets, India looked comfortable with the bat before weather washed out the match 26 overs into their innings.

However, the same couldn't be said for the Blackcaps, whose batting fell apart right from the get-go.

Daryl Mitchell made a half century and shared a 59-run partnership with Mitchell Santner Saturday in an act of resistance before New Zealand was dismissed for 134 in 41 overs, batting first in the second one-day cricket international against India.

Mitchell was out for 55 and Santner for 31 as New Zealand again failed to produce a challenging total against a concerted India attack. Henry Nicholls (11) was the only other New Zealand batter apart from Santner and Mitchell to reach double figures.

Gurnoor Brar produced a difficult bounce and took 4-30 from 10 overs while Auqib Nabi struck twice early and finished with 2-31. Anshul Kamboj and spinner Axar Patel, bowling through the middle of the innings, took two wickets each.

India captain Shubman Gill won an influential toss, his sixth in seven matches across the T20 and ODI series, and couldn't hide his delight at being able to send New Zealand in on a pitch which had sweated under the covers for two days.

India thoroughly outplayed the Blackcaps in Wellington

Asked what he intended to do after winning the toss, Gill grinned and said: “Bowl. No surprises there”. His New Zealand counterpart, Mitchell Santner, looked dejected.

The toss was delayed by an hour because of a damp outfield and the match was reduced to 47 overs per side.

Gill has called tails in six matches and won the toss every time. The only time he called incorrectly was when he changed to heads.

The pitch was a little moist and tended to hold up early on. Arshdeep Patel took no wicket for four runs off his first four overs.

Later, he found a sharper and more threatening bounce as New Zealand batters again succumbed to the lure of the pull shot. Three New Zealand top-order batters were out in the first match at Auckland which India won by five wickets after bowling out New Zealand for 185.

New Zealand started poorly, losing three wickets inside the first nine overs.

Tim Seifert was out without scoring in the second over, popping a ball that held up sharply to Anshul Kamboj at midwicket from the bowling of Nabi. Nabi also removed Will Young who was cramped trying to defend a short ball on a fourth stump line, edging a catch to K.L. Rahul.

At the end of the 10-over power play, New Zealand was 29-5 and had hit only three fours and a six. New Zealand hit only two more boundaries between the 10th and 20th overs, after which it was 55-3.

Mitchell was dropped by Gill off Kamboj when he was 21 but subsequently battled through to his half century from 97 balls with five fours and two sixes.

He was out soon after, slicing a ball from Axar Patel to Kamboj in the deep. Santner followed quickly, caught behind by Rahul off a quick ball from Brar.

- Additional reporting by 1News

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