Sports
India Win First ODI of Series Against New Zealand by Five Wickets
India won the opening match of the five‑match ODI series against New Zealand, taking a 1‑0 lead. Virat Kohli scored 74 runs, guiding India to a five‑wicket victory. The match was played at Eden Park, Wellington, and was shortened by rain to a 32‑over game with a DLS target of 143. Anshul Kamboj was named player of the match after taking 2 wickets for 22 runs in 10 overs. India’s bowlers, including Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar and Kamboj, restricted New Zealand to 138 for 8. New Zealand’s top order struggled, with Seifert, Mitchell and Phillips failing to score heavily. New Zealand’s final wicket partnership of 39 runs was not enough to reach the target. India’s batting, led by Kohli and Shubman Gill, chased the target comfortably, with Naman Dhir hitting the winning runs. The Indian captain, Shubman Gill, praised the team’s bowling and fielding, and highlighted the impact of Rohit Sharma’s run‑out. New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner said the batting did not go to plan and that the pitch was quicker and bouncier than expected. Both teams will face each other again in the second ODI at the Hnry Stadium on Saturday, November 7, with the first ball scheduled for 2:00 GMT (7:30 IST).