India made a winning start to their ODI tour of New Zealand on Wednesday, beating the hosts by five wickets in a rain-shortened first ODI at Eden Park in Auckland. Virat Kohli led the chase with a sparkling 74 off 51 balls, while a second-string pace attack, missing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Siraj, bowled New Zealand out for just 185.
Rain interrupted the match more than once, and the target was revised to 143 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method. India reached it in 22.4 overs, taking a 1-0 lead in the five-match series with plenty to spare. The second ODI will be played in Wellington on Saturday, November 7.
Bowlers set it up on a lively Eden Park pitch
Captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to bowl first, and his bowlers repaid the call on a surface that offered seam movement and bounce. Arshdeep Singh set the tone with early wickets, removing Will Young and Henry Nicholls, and finished with four wickets for 70 runs, his third four-wicket haul in 19 ODIs.
He had strong support from the two young quicks. Gurnoor Brar, consistently clocking around 145 kmph, took three for 44 in 9.2 overs, including the wickets of Tim Seifert and Tom Latham. Anshul Kamboj, named Player of the Match, was the most economical of the lot, taking two for 22 in his ten overs, with two maidens, and dismissing New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.
New Zealand were in deep trouble at 146 for nine before a 39-run stand for the last wicket, led by Blair Tickner, pushed them to 185. It was never going to be enough.
Kohli’s fifty steals the show
If the bowling set the game up, Kohli finished it in style. The former captain reached his fifty off just 35 balls, the second-fastest half-century of his away ODI career, behind only his 34-ball effort against Australia in Canberra in 2016. He went on to make 74 off 51 deliveries, and India were never in trouble during the chase.
Gill contributed 37 at the top of the order, and the middle order did the rest without fuss. It was a calm, controlled chase, rain breaks and all.
Kamboj answers his critics
The story of the day, though, belonged to Anshul Kamboj. His international career had started badly: a lone Test at Manchester last year in which he barely made an impact, followed by an ODI debut against the West Indies in which he conceded 82 runs in nine wicketless overs. Wednesday was the first time he played without being an injury replacement or rushed into the side, and the difference showed.
“One bad match does not decide a player’s career,” Kamboj said after collecting the Player of the Match award. “I have been doing the same things right from the start. One bad match doesn’t affect me much. It has only given me the motivation to do better. I don’t pay attention to the chatter. I focus on my cricket and see how I can improve.”
His point was simple, and the seam movement at Eden Park helped him settle into a rhythm. “If you focus more on the process than the result, then you will be alright,” he added. “If you are executing well, if you want to bowl a yorker, if you execute well, and still go for runs, then there’s no problem.”
What it means for the series
Head coach Gautam Gambhir will take plenty of encouragement from this performance. With Bumrah, Siraj and Hardik Pandya all absent, India still had enough pace depth to bowl a home side out cheaply in its own conditions. That matters with the ODI World Cup in South Africa now less than a year away.
New Zealand, already without Mark Chapman and Rachin Ravindra for the series, will need a quick rethink before Wellington. Their batting never got going against the moving ball, and their bowlers had too few runs to defend once the rain shortened the game.
India, meanwhile, will simply want more of the same: early wickets, a Kohli masterclass, and a young fast bowler announcing himself. If New Zealand do not find answers fast, this series could be over quickly.
FAQs
Who won the first ODI between India and New Zealand?
India won by five wickets at Eden Park, Auckland, chasing a revised target of 143 under the DLS method after rain shortened the match.
Who was the Player of the Match in the first ODI?
Anshul Kamboj, who took two wickets for 22 runs in ten overs, including two maidens, and dismissed New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner.
How many runs did Virat Kohli score in the first ODI?
Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls, reaching his fifty in just 35 deliveries, his second-fastest away ODI half-century.
What were the bowling figures for India?
Arshdeep Singh took four for 70, Gurnoor Brar took three for 44, and Anshul Kamboj took two for 22 as New Zealand were bowled out for 185.
When and where is the second ODI?
The second ODI of the five-match series will be played in Wellington on Saturday, November 7, 2026.
India have drawn first blood in Auckland, and New Zealand have three days to find a response before the series moves to Wellington.
