Indian cricket group celebrates a wicket throughout the first ODI in opposition to New Zealand in Auckland on November 4, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
The imposing Gurnoor Brar repaid skipper Shubman Gill’s religion by intimidating the New Zealand batters with pace and disconcerting bounce as India’s younger tempo assault, led by the constant Arshdeep Singh, dismissed the hosts for a below-par 185 within the first ODI in Auckland on Wednesday (November 4, 2026).
The house group couldn’t play out its full quota of fifty overs and was despatched packing in 40.2 overs.
With India’s first alternative troika of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and Prasidh Krishna not out there because of workload administration and injury-related points, it was the Punjab duo of Arshdeep (4/70 in 10 overs) and Gurnoor (3/44 in 9.2 overs), which took up the mantle of unsettling the Black Caps on an excellent Eden Park floor after Gill opted to discipline.
The unusually brief and straight dimensions of the bottom do create points however Arshdeep hit the right size, bowling to the sphere with relentless accuracy.
Anshul Kamboj (2/22 in 10 overs) was additionally fantastically regular throughout center overs, one thing that may make head coach Gautam Gambhir pleased with his punt to go in with three literal greenhorns. He bowled an eye-popping 46 dot balls in his 10-over spell.
Arshdeep bought a few wickets contained in the powerplay as New Zealand managed simply 45 for two within the first 10 overs.
Due to Gurnoor’s tempo and bounce, Gill launched him after the sphere restrictions eased and the 6 ft 5 inch Chandigarh-lad repeatedly challenged the batters together with his again of size deliveries.
He bought a few wickets, together with a pointy reflex return catch to ship again Tom Latham. On the midway stage, New Zealand had been staring down the barrel at 109 for five.
Auqib Nabi was the unfortunate one when Tim Seifert (38 off 43 balls) provided a regulation catch to Naman Dhir at mid-wicket however he bungled it.
It was Will Younger (9), who was first to be dismissed as Arshdeep barely shortened the size. The ball bought large on the batter as he skied an tried pull shot with Shreyas Iyer finishing the formalities.
Henry Nicholls (9) didn’t look too comfy and he additionally couldn’t join an tried pull shot with Dhir not making any mistake this time.
Seifert, who was coming off a century within the final T20I, did hit a ramp shot off Nabi behind the keeper for a six and likewise lofted Gurnoor when he went a contact fuller however he too didn’t look in good nick.
It was a brief ball from Gurnoor that Seifert mis-timed as substitute Ruturaj Gaikwad held onto a dolly at mid-on.
Gurnoor then dismissed the reliable Tom Latham as he tried to test his uppish drive and the return catch caught to the bowler’s outstretched left palm. He was on his comply with by and it was a superb reflex effort by Gurnoor.
As soon as 4 wickets had been gone, it was very simple to place New Zealand on the back-foot. The in-form pair of Daryl Mitchell (28) and Glenn Phillips (30) had been anticipated to resurrect the crumbling innings.
However Rohit Sharma’s alertness and KL Rahul’s fast glove-work noticed the again of Mitchell as he and Phillips tried a fast single.
With half of the New Zealand group again within the hut for lower than 100 on an excellent batting floor, Kamboj added to the strain by elevating the dot ball volumes and getting his share of breakthroughs whereas doing so.
Skipper Mitchell Santner was performed on and Virat Kohli took an absolute stunner at second slip to eliminate Nathan Smith.
Tickner then chanced his arms, putting three sixes off Arshdeep’s final over, to get the house group previous 180-run mark.
Printed – November 04, 2026 07:49 am IST
