Rain did its best to steal the show at Eden Park on Wednesday, but Virat Kohli made sure the evening belonged to India. His fluent 74 off just 51 balls steered the visitors to a five-wicket win under the DLS method in the first ODI against New Zealand in Auckland, handing Shubman Gill's side a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
The platform, though, was laid by India's bowlers. Arshdeep Singh picked up four wickets, Gurnoor Brar chipped in with three and Anshul Kamboj produced one of the tightest spells of the season as New Zealand were bowled out for 185.
How New Zealand's innings unfolded
The toss itself was delayed by rain. Once play began, Gill won it and chose to bowl, a decision that looked smart almost immediately. Arshdeep struck early to remove Will Young for 9, with Shreyas Iyer holding the catch, and New Zealand never quite found their rhythm on a surface that offered help to the seamers.
Tim Seifert, given a life when he was dropped at mid-wicket early on, top-scored for the hosts with 38 off 43 balls. Glenn Phillips made 30 and Daryl Mitchell 28 before being run out, but wickets kept falling at regular intervals. At 146 for 9, a total under 150 looked likely.
That is when No. 11 Blair Tickner decided to swing. The fast bowler smashed 34 off 23 balls, including four sixes, and his last-wicket partnership of 39 dragged New Zealand to 185 before they were finally dismissed in the 41st over.
Kamboj's quiet masterclass
Arshdeep's 4 for 70 will grab the headlines, but Kamboj's numbers tell their own story. The young seamer bowled his full quota of 10 overs for just 22 runs, with two maidens and two wickets. He was barely scoreable at the start, conceding only one run in his opening two overs, and kept the pressure on throughout. For a bowler still building his international career, it was a statement performance on a big stage.
Kohli leads a rain-shortened chase
India's reply started badly. Rohit Sharma fell for a six-ball duck in the very first over, caught at mid-off by New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner off Kyle Jamieson. Gill and Kohli steadied things with a 53-run stand, and India were 54 for 1 when rain forced the players off for a second time.
The interruption changed the maths. Under DLS, India's target was eventually revised to 143 from 32 overs, and Kohli attacked it with intent. He found the boundary regularly, ran hard between the wickets and made sure the asking rate never became a worry. Gill contributed 37 before falling with the score on 114.
Jacob Duffy gave New Zealand a late glimmer, removing Kohli and later Shreyas Iyer (15), and Axar Patel did not last long either. But with only a handful of runs needed, KL Rahul (3 not out) and Naman Dhir (5 not out) calmly finished the job with plenty of overs to spare.
Key facts from the 1st ODI
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Match | 1st ODI, India tour of New Zealand 2026 |
| Venue | Eden Park, Auckland |
| Date | Wednesday, November 4, 2026 |
| Toss | India won, chose to bowl |
| New Zealand | 185 all out |
| Revised target (DLS) | 143 runs in 32 overs |
| Result | India won by 5 wickets (DLS) |
| Top scorer | Virat Kohli 74 (51 balls) |
| Best bowling | Arshdeep Singh 4/70 |
| Most economical | Anshul Kamboj 2/22 in 10 overs |
| Series | India lead 1-0 (five-match series) |
What this win means for India
For Indian fans, there are three big takeaways. First, Kohli's form remains the backbone of this ODI batting line-up; his ability to shift gears in a shortened chase was exactly what the situation demanded. Second, India's pace attack, even without Prasidh Krishna, who was ruled out of the series with a hamstring issue, looks well balanced, with Arshdeep's wicket-taking backed up by Kamboj's control and Brar's three-wicket haul.
Third, the one worry is the death bowling against the tail. Allowing a No. 11 to hit four sixes and add 39 is the kind of lapse that can cost a closer match, and the team management will want to tighten that up before Wellington.
There is also a bit of payback in the result. New Zealand had won the final T20I last week behind Seifert's big knock, even though India took that series 3-2. Starting the ODI leg with a win keeps the momentum firmly with the visitors.
What happens next
The two teams move to Wellington for the second ODI on Saturday, November 7, at Hnry Stadium. The match is scheduled to start at 3:00 pm local time, which is 7:30 am IST, so Indian fans will once again need an early alarm. New Zealand will be without Devon Conway, who is recovering from a concussion, and will be looking for a stronger batting effort to level the series.
India's squad will change for the last two games, with Shreyas Iyer set to lead in the fourth and fifth ODIs as per the BCCI's earlier announcement. The series ends on November 15 at Bay Oval, before a two-match Test series begins on November 19.
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