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India have won the first two ODIs in New Zealand, by five wickets at Eden Park on 4 November and by four runs on DLS in Wellington on 7 November. Rain shortened both chases, but the bowling decided both games. Across the two matches, India’s seamers took 17 of New Zealand’s 20 wickets, with Mohammed Siraj, who is in the squad, yet to play in the series.

Red leather cricket ball on a green outfield

Two low totals

New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs in Auckland and for 134 in 41 overs in Wellington. Arshdeep Singh, Anshul Kamboj, Gurnoor Brar and Auqib Nabi shared 17 wickets between them. Axar Patel took the other two that fell to bowlers, and Daryl Mitchell was run out in the first game.

The Auckland total flattered the hosts. New Zealand were 146 for 9 before No. 11 Blair Tickner hit 34 off 23 balls, with four sixes, in a last-wicket stand of 39. In Wellington, they slid to 53 for 5. Mitchell’s 55 off 104 balls was the only half-century New Zealand managed in the two games.

Brar and Kamboj lead

Gurnoor Brar has seven wickets in two matches: 3 for 44 in Auckland and a career-best 4 for 30 in Wellington, where he removed Tom Latham, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner and Nathan Smith. He was named Player of the Match in the second game.

Anshul Kamboj was Player of the Match in the first, for 2 for 22 in ten overs. He added 2 for 25 in Wellington, giving him four wickets for 47 runs in 18 overs. Arshdeep took 4 for 70 in Auckland, then went wicketless in Wellington but gave away only 16 runs in seven overs.

Nabi, the Jammu and Kashmir seamer, had originally been picked only for the last two games. The BCCI moved him into the squad for the first three ODIs on 31 October after Prasidh Krishna hurt his hamstring against West Indies in Guwahati. On his ODI debut in that series, Nabi went for 84 runs in 8.5 overs. In Wellington, he removed both New Zealand openers with the score on 11 and finished with 2 for 31.

Captain Shubman Gill was measured in his praise of Brar. “As he gets more experience, he’ll get more consistent,” he said after the second ODI. “He already has the pace and bounce.”

The top order wobbles

The batting has been less convincing. In Auckland, Rohit Sharma fell for a six-ball duck in the first over. Virat Kohli then made 74 off 51 balls, with 13 fours, and added 113 for the second wicket with Gill, who made 37. India then slid from 114 for 1 to 136 for 5, losing four wickets for 22 runs, before KL Rahul and Naman Dhir finished the chase of 143 in 32 overs with 56 balls to spare.

Wellington was harder. Gill was out first ball, Kohli made 7 and India were 47 for 4 chasing 134. Shreyas Iyer’s 30 and Rahul’s unbeaten 26 steadied them. When rain ended play at 113 for 7 after 26 overs, India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109. Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy took three wickets each.

Across the two games, Rohit and Gill have 60 runs between them. Kohli’s 74 is more than half of everything India’s top three have scored in the series.

A depleted New Zealand

The hosts have been short of batting. Devon Conway is out of the series with concussion, and Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra have also been ruled out. Without them, New Zealand have leaned heavily on Mitchell and Phillips in the middle order, and have not passed 185 in either game.

That context matters when judging India’s attack. These wins came against a weakened line-up, in conditions where rain cut short both chases. The bowling has still been the most consistent part of India’s tour so far.

What to watch

The third ODI is in Hamilton on 10 November. India can win the series there. Watch whether Siraj comes into the XI and, if he does, which of the newer seamers makes way. Yash Thakur joins the squad for the last two matches.

The bigger question is the top order. India have won twice without Rohit or Gill passing 40. A full, rain-free 50-over chase would be a truer test of where this batting stands.