Kohli’s 74 and Kamboj’s Masterclass Give India Rain-Curtailed Win in Auckland Opener
Kohli’s 74 and Kamboj’s Masterclass Give India Rain-Curtailed Win in Auckland Opener
Virat Kohli rolled back the years with a commanding 74 off 51 balls as India chased down a revised DLS target of 143 to beat New Zealand by five wickets in the rain-hit first ODI at Eden Park. Earlier, a young Indian pace attack, led by Arshdeep Singh’s 4/70 and Anshul Kamboj’s miserly 2/22, bowled New Zealand out for 185. The victory gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. Here is the complete review: full scorecard, highlights, expert reactions from X.com, and a senior journalist’s verdict.
Virat Kohli struck a fluent 74 off 51 balls as India chased down a revised target of 143 in Auckland.
📝 Match Report – Pace Sets It Up, Kohli Finishes It
Shubman Gill won the toss and elected to field, a decision that proved inspired. New Zealand’s innings never gained momentum. Will Young (9) and Henry Nicholls (9) fell to Arshdeep Singh early, and Daryl Mitchell (28) was run out by a sharp piece of fielding from KL Rahul and Rohit Sharma. Source: CricTracker
Tim Seifert, playing his first ODI in over 18 months, top-scored with 38 off 43, but he never looked fluent. Glenn Phillips (30 off 51) tried to anchor the innings, but the required rate kept climbing. Blair Tickner’s late cameo of 34 off 23 (4 sixes) pushed New Zealand past 180, but they were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Source: RNZ
Arshdeep finished with 4/70, Gurnoor Brar took 3/44, and Anshul Kamboj was the standout with 2/22 from his 10 overs, including two maidens. His control and discipline earned him the Player of the Match award. Source: MyKhel
Rain intervened during India’s chase, reducing the target to 143 from 32 overs under the DLS method. Rohit Sharma fell for a second-ball duck, but Virat Kohli and Shubman Gill steadied the ship with a 113-run partnership for the second wicket. Gill made 37, while Kohli looked imperious, hitting 13 fours and a six in his 51-ball 74. Source: ABP Live
Jacob Duffy (3/49) removed Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and Axar Patel in quick succession to give New Zealand a glimmer of hope, but KL Rahul and Naman Dhir held their nerve to complete the chase in 22.4 overs. Source: Outlook India
📊 Full Scorecard – NZ vs IND 1st ODI
🇳🇿 New Zealand – 185/10 (40.2 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Will Young | c Shreyas Iyer b Arshdeep Singh | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 81.82 |
| Tim Seifert | c (sub) b Gurnoor Brar | 38 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 88.37 |
| Henry Nicholls | c Naman Dhir b Arshdeep Singh | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 81.82 |
| Daryl Mitchell | run out (KL Rahul/Rohit Sharma) | 28 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 68.29 |
| Tom Latham (wk) | c & b Gurnoor Brar | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 27.27 |
| Glenn Phillips | c Shreyas Iyer b Arshdeep Singh | 30 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 58.82 |
| Mitchell Santner (c) | b Anshul Kamboj | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Nathan Smith | c Virat Kohli b Anshul Kamboj | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11.11 |
| Kyle Jamieson | c Virat Kohli b Arshdeep Singh | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.67 |
| Jacob Duffy | Not out | 15 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 60.00 |
| Blair Tickner | c Shreyas Iyer b Gurnoor Brar | 34 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 147.83 |
Extras: 13 (lb 2, w 10, nb 1) · Total: 185/10 (RR: 4.59) · Fall of wickets: 12-1 (Young, 2.5 ov), 28-2 (Nicholls, 6.2 ov), 75-3 (Seifert, 15.4 ov), 79-4 (Latham, 17.6 ov), 97-5 (Mitchell, 22.3 ov), 112-6 (Santner, 27.5 ov), 116-7 (Smith, 29.5 ov), 123-8 (Jamieson, 32.1 ov), 145-9 (Phillips, 36.5 ov), 185-10 (Tickner, 40.2 ov)Source: CricTracker
🇮🇳 India Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anshul Kamboj | 10 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 2.20 |
| Arshdeep Singh | 10 | 1 | 70 | 4 | 7.00 |
| Gurnoor Brar | 9.2 | 0 | 44 | 3 | 4.71 |
| Nitish Kumar Reddy | 5 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 3.80 |
| Axar Patel | 6 | 0 | 26 | 0 | 4.33 |
🇮🇳 India – 143/5 (22.4 overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | R | B | 4s | 6s | SR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rohit Sharma | b Jacob Duffy | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Shubman Gill (c) | c Tom Latham b Nathan Smith | 37 | 56 | 5 | 0 | 66.07 |
| Virat Kohli | c Will Young b Jacob Duffy | 74 | 51 | 13 | 1 | 145.10 |
| Shreyas Iyer | c Tom Latham b Jacob Duffy | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Axar Patel | lbw b Jacob Duffy | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 28.57 |
| KL Rahul (wk) | Not out | 15 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 107.14 |
| Naman Dhir | Not out | 7 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 140.00 |
Extras: 8 (lb 1, w 6, nb 1) · Total: 143/5 (RR: 6.30) · Fall of wickets: 2-1 (Rohit, 0.3 ov), 115-2 (Gill, 16.4 ov), 117-3 (Kohli, 17.2 ov), 117-4 (Iyer, 17.3 ov), 130-5 (Axar, 19.5 ov)Source: CricTracker
🇳🇿 New Zealand Bowling
| Bowler | O | M | R | W | Econ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jacob Duffy | 7 | 0 | 49 | 3 | 7.00 |
| Nathan Smith | 4 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 4.00 |
| Matt Henry | 5 | 0 | 24 | 0 | 4.80 |
| Kyle Jamieson | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 7.00 |
| Mitchell Santner | 2.4 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 9.38 |
📈 Series Points Table / Standings
| Team | Matches | Won | Lost | Points | Series Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Lead 1-0 |
| New Zealand | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | Trail 0-1 |
This is a bilateral ODI series, so the “points table” reflects the series score. India have taken a 1-0 lead in the five-match series. The second ODI will be played in Wellington on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Source: RNZ
🎥 Video Highlights – The Key Moments
🗣️ Expert Reactions from X.com
Social media reacted sharply to India’s victory and New Zealand’s batting collapse. Here are some of the top reactions from experts and fans on X.
🗣️ Senior Journalist’s Verdict – A Win Built on Pace and Poise
My Take: India’s Young Pacers Deliver, But Middle Order Questions Remain
This was a victory engineered by India’s fringe pacers. With Jasprit Bumrah rested and Mohammed Siraj in the squad, the spotlight was on Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, and Anshul Kamboj. All three delivered. Arshdeep’s 4/70 was his best ODI figures, Brar’s 3/44 was a dream debut, and Kamboj’s 2/22 was a masterclass in control. The way they exploited the bounce and short-pitched bowling was exactly what the conditions demanded. Source: RNZ
Kohli’s 74 was the glue that held the chase together. His 80th ODI fifty was a reminder that, even at 37, he remains India’s most reliable batter in pressure situations. The 113-run stand with Gill took the game away from New Zealand, and though Duffy’s triple strike created a late wobble, the result was never really in doubt. Source: ABP Live
However, there are concerns. Rohit Sharma’s second-ball duck, Shreyas Iyer’s first-ball dismissal, and the decision to send Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul will be debated. The middle order looked fragile, and on a better batting surface, India cannot afford such collapses. New Zealand, meanwhile, have serious batting issues. Seifert top-scored with 38, and no one else showed the application to bat through the innings. Source: Sportskeeda
Prediction for the 2nd ODI: New Zealand will need to rethink their batting approach. India, with momentum and a settled bowling attack, start as favourites. Player to watch: Anshul Kamboj.
— CricLive Editorial Team
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
1. Who won the 1st ODI between New Zealand and India?
India won by 5 wickets (DLS method), chasing a revised target of 143 in 22.4 overs.
2. What was Virat Kohli’s score?
Virat Kohli scored 74 off 51 balls, including 13 fours and 1 six.
3. Who was the Player of the Match?
Anshul Kamboj was named Player of the Match for his 2/22 from 10 overs, including two maidens.
4. What was the DLS target for India?
Rain reduced India’s target to 143 from 32 overs under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern method.
5. What is the series score?
India lead the five-match series 1-0. The second ODI is in Wellington on November 7.
