Wellington, November 6, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India will look to build on their opening-match victory when they face New Zealand in the second ODI at Hnry Stadium in Wellington on Saturday. The visitors lead the five-match series 1-0 after securing a five-wicket win in a rain-affected first match in Auckland.
India’s inexperienced pace attack impressed in the series opener, with Gurnoor Brar, Anshul Kamboj and Arshdeep Singh providing a disciplined bowling performance. Their display helped ease pre-series concerns over the team’s relatively untested bowling resources and suggested a greater willingness by head coach Gautam Gambhir to field a four-pronged pace attack.
Although Arshdeep claimed the most wickets, Kamboj emerged as India’s standout bowler, delivering 46 dot balls in his 10 overs. He consistently bowled Test-match lengths and generated swing to trouble the New Zealand batters. The other four pacers in the attack went wicketless.
The possibility of Mohammed Siraj returning, if fit, could provide India with greater experience in the pace department. However, the team management has remained tight-lipped about its selection plans.
The change of venue will also require India’s fast bowlers to adjust their lengths. While Eden Park’s shorter straight boundaries encouraged short-pitched bowling, Hnry Stadium’s dimensions, including a particularly short square boundary, could make fuller deliveries more effective.
India will also expect a stronger contribution from Rohit Sharma, who was dismissed for a duck in the first ODI. Virat Kohli, meanwhile, struck a fluent 74 off 51 balls. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel will be keen to improve their response to New Zealand’s short-ball tactics after struggling against the rising deliveries in Auckland.
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner acknowledged after the opening match that his batters had struggled to cope with the extra bounce generated by India’s quicks. The hosts will also be without Devon Conway, who has been ruled out of the remainder of the series after suffering a head injury in a collision during fielding practice.
Weather could once again influence proceedings. Drizzle in Wellington on Friday disrupted both teams’ training plans, with New Zealand moving indoors and India cancelling their session. AccuWeather has forecast a 60 per cent chance of showers during the first half of Saturday’s match and 55 per cent in the second half.
The opening ODI was also affected by rain, with India’s target revised from 186 in 50 overs to 143 in 32 overs after two interruptions. India reached the target with five wickets to spare, with Kohli scoring 74 and Kamboj returning figures of 2-22 to earn Player of the Match honours.
The series will move to Hamilton for the third ODI on November 10, before the final two matches are played at Mount Maunganui on November 13 and 15.
Match Details
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Match: India vs New Zealand, 2nd ODI
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Date: Saturday, November 7
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Venue: Hnry Stadium, Wellington
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Telecast: Sony Sports Network
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Live Streaming: JioStar
Squads
India: Shubman Gill (captain), Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer (vice-captain), KL Rahul (wicketkeeper), Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel, Anshul Kamboj, Auqib Nabi, Gurnoor Brar, Mohammed Siraj, Arshdeep Singh, Ishan Kishan, Kuldeep Yadav, Naman Dhir.
New Zealand: Mitchell Santner (captain), Tom Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Will Young, Glenn Phillips, Daryl Mitchell, Michael Bracewell, Jacob Duffy, Kyle Jamieson, Matthew Fisher, Matt Henry, Blair Tickner, Nathan Smith.
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