Auckland, November 4: India defeated New Zealand by five wickets in the rain-interrupted first One-Day International at Eden Park on Wednesday. Virat Kohli led the chase with a fluent 74 off 51 balls as India reached the revised target of 143 under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method. The victory gives India a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
Batting first, New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. Tim Seifert top-scored with 38, while Blair Tickner contributed 34 off 23 balls. Glenn Phillips made 30 and Daryl Mitchell scored 28.
Arshdeep Singh led India's bowling attack with four wickets for 70 runs in 10 overs. Gurnoor Brar claimed three wickets for 44 runs in 9.2 overs, while Anshul Kamboj took two wickets for 22 runs from his 10 overs.
India's chase was interrupted twice by rain. Rohit Sharma was dismissed for a duck after facing six balls. Kohli then joined captain Shubman Gill and the pair put together a crucial 114-run partnership for the second wicket. Gill scored 37 off 56 balls before being dismissed.
Following the rain interruptions, India's target was revised to 143 in 32 overs under the DLS method. Kohli's 74, which included 13 boundaries, kept the chase on track. India eventually reached 143 for five in 22.4 overs to seal the win.
For New Zealand, Jacob Duffy took three wickets for 49 runs in seven overs. Anshul Kamboj was named Player of the Match for his disciplined bowling performance. The second ODI will be played in Wellington on November 7.
