The discipline displayed by India’s fast bowlers proved effective at Auckland’s Eden Park in the first ODI. New Zealand were bundled out for 185 off 40.2 overs. Arshdeep Singh, bowling with his left arm, claimed four wickets, with two debutants each taking two wickets apiece.
After India elected to bowl after winning the toss, the bowlers exposed New Zealand’s top order to a brutal and effective fast bowling barrage and left them at 146/9, although tailender Blair Tickner contributed some runs towards the end, with New Zealand ending up with 185. In reply, India chased down the rain-revised target of 143 of 22.4 overs to win by five wickets to go 1-0 up in the five-match ODI series.
Dominant Indian Pace Attack Controls Eden Park Conditions
India’s bowlers started off the match on a positive note when they targeted back of length balls against the damp surface. The constant bowling in the corridor along with some swing away from the off stump also created a few chances early on as the Kiwi opening batsmen tried to get things moving.
In the middle stages, New Zealand’s batsmen struggled to build momentum because India’s fielding and tight bowling made it hard for them to rotate the strike. It wasn’t until a brilliant piece of fielding and a direct throw from Rohit Sharma that finally brought a reprieve, breaking the rebuilding partnership between the Kiwis that Mitchell (28) was trying to construct.
Arshdeep Singh’s Strike Capability: 4 for 70
Arshdeep Singh’s opening breakthroughs sent back Will Young and Henry Nicholls, both for 9, in the deep during his first spell of bowling. He finished the match with figures of 4-70 in 10 overs. Arshdeep bowled the final spell against the lower order to claim Kyle Jamieson (1) and dismiss Glenn Phillips (30 of 51) for the top scorer. His final spell went for runs due to a late counter attack by Blair Tickner, however, his opening strikes had rattled the New Zealand top and middle order.
Gurnoor Brar Shines on Debut with 3 for 44
Making his international debut, right-arm fast bowler Gurnoor Brar delivered an impactful spell, taking 3 for 44 in 9.2 overs. Brar extracted a steep bounce from the pitch, accounting for dangerous opener Tim Seifert (38 off 43 balls), who was caught by substitute fielder Ruturaj Gaikwad.
Brar continued to trouble the middle order, taking a return catch to dismiss New Zealand captain Tom Latham for 3. He concluded the innings by removing Blair Tickner (34), caught behind by KL Rahul, closing out the innings in the 41st over.
Anshul Kamboj Applies the Brakes: 2 for 22 in 10 Overs
Kamboj tightened the screws on the Kiwis even more in the middle overs, dismissing the then batsmen Mitchell Santner (4). Just a few overs later, he dismissed Nathan Smith (1), and was aided by a diving, one-handed slip catch by Virat Kohli. Kamboj’s economy rate was 2.20 and the hosts could not get away from him.
New Zealand Batting Struggles & Middle-Order Collapse
India’s top order put in a lot of effort to dismiss New Zealand batters before they could post big scores on the scoreboard. With an aggressive 38 off 43 deliveries (including three fours and two sixes) Tim Seifert led the Kiwi batters as he fell to Brar.
Mitchell (28 off 41) and Phillips (30 off 51) provided resistance but after the run out of Mitchell in the 22nd over, the Kiwi middle order disintegrated, with the score dropping from 97/4 to 146/9.
Blair Tickner’s Late Counterattack
Number 11 batter Blair Tickner provided late entertainment for the home crowd, launching a counterattack alongside Jacob Duffy (15 not out). Tickner struck a quickfire 34 off just 23 balls, hitting one boundary and four sixes.
His 39-run 10th-wicket partnership with Duffy boosted New Zealand from 146/9 to 185 before Brar wrapped up the innings.
Match Summary & Complete Scorecard
Match Details – Official Match Centre
- Match: IND vs NZ 1st ODI (5-Match Series)
- Date: November 4, 2026
- Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
- Toss: India won the toss and elected to field
- Result: India won by 5 wickets (DLS Method)
Scorecard: New Zealand Innings (185 All Out in 40.2 Overs)
| Batter | Dismissal | Runs | Balls | 4s | 6s | SR |
| Will Young | c Iyer b Arshdeep | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 81.81 |
| Tim Seifert | c sub (Gaikwad) b Brar | 38 | 43 | 3 | 2 | 88.37 |
| Henry Nicholls | c Dhir b Arshdeep | 9 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 81.81 |
| Daryl Mitchell | run out (Rohit/Rahul) | 28 | 41 | 3 | 1 | 68.29 |
| Tom Latham (c) | c & b Brar | 3 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 27.27 |
| Glenn Phillips | c Iyer b Arshdeep | 30 | 51 | 2 | 1 | 58.82 |
| Mitchell Santner | b Kamboj | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 25.00 |
| Nathan Smith | c Kohli b Kamboj | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11.11 |
| Kyle Jamieson | c Kohli b Arshdeep | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 16.66 |
| Jacob Duffy | not out | 15 | 21 | 3 | 0 | 71.42 |
| Blair Tickner | c Rahul b Brar | 34 | 23 | 1 | 4 | 147.82 |
| Extras | (b 0, lb 4, wd 8, nb 1) | 13 | ||||
| Total | (All out, 40.2 overs) | 185 |
Fall of Wickets
1-22 (Young, 4.3 ov), 2-40 (Nicholls, 8.3 ov), 3-73 (Seifert, 14.2 ov), 4-84 (Latham, 16.6 ov), 5-97 (Mitchell, 21.1 ov), 6-113 (Santner, 26.1 ov), 7-124 (Smith, 28.3 ov), 8-131 (Jamieson, 31.2 ov), 9-146 (Phillips, 35.1 ov), 10-185 (Tickner, 40.2 ov).
India Bowling Figures
| Bowler | Overs | Maidens | Runs | Wickets | Economy |
| Arshdeep Singh | 10.0 | 0 | 70 | 4 | 7.00 |
| Auqib Nabi | 6.0 | 0 | 33 | 0 | 5.50 |
| Anshul Kamboj | 10.0 | 2 | 22 | 2 | 2.20 |
| Gurnoor Brar | 9.2 | 0 | 44 | 3 | 4.78 |
| Axar Patel | 5.0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2.40 |
Scorecard Summary: India Chase (143/5 in 22.4 Overs – DLS Target: 143)
| Batter / Bowler | Contribution / Figures |
| Rohit Sharma (c) | c Santner b Jamieson 0 (6) |
| Shubman Gill | c Latham b Smith 35 (50) |
| Virat Kohli | c Seifert b Duffy 74 (51) [13×4, 1×6] |
| Shreyas Iyer | c Phillips b Duffy 15 (11) |
| Axar Patel | c point b Duffy 0 (2) |
| KL Rahul (wk) | 0* (1) |
| New Zealand Bowling | Kyle Jamieson: 6-0-24-1, Jacob Duffy: 6.1-0-39-3, Nathan Smith: 3-0-18-1 |
Significance of India’s Bowling Performance
Performance with the ball by India shows the strength in the depth of their white ball pace bench. With the absence of the experienced pacers, Indian quicks like Gurnoor Brar and Anshul Kamboj came good alongside Arshdeep Singh in controlling the match abroad.
The line of Kamboj and bounce of Brar helped in the swing of Arshdeep. The ability of keeping New Zealand to 185 runs at Eden Park, a ground famous for short straight boundaries, proves execution of plans in modern ODIs.
Conclusion
The collaborative performance of Arshdeep Singh, Gurnoor Brar, and Anshul Kamboj was what paved the way for India’s five-wicket win in the first match of the five-match ODI series. With the half-century from Virat Kohli (74 runs off 51 balls) in the run-chase, India won their first ODI with a 1-0 scoreline. For more updates follow Cricmatch
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What were the best bowling figures for India in the IND vs NZ 1st ODI?
Arshdeep Singh was India’s top wicket-taker with figures of 4 for 70 in 10 overs. Debutant Gurnoor Brar took 3 for 44, while Anshul Kamboj recorded figures of 2 for 22 in his 10 overs.
2. What was New Zealand’s final score in the 1st ODI?
New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs.
3. Who top-scored for New Zealand in the match?
Tim Seifert top-scored for the hosts with 38 runs off 43 balls, followed by Blair Tickner, who made a late 34 off 23 balls.
4. What was the outcome of the 1st ODI between India and New Zealand?
India defeated New Zealand by 5 wickets via the DLS method after chasing down a revised target of 143 runs in 22.4 overs.
