Series Advantage on the Line in Wellington: The bilateral 50-over battle between New Zealand and India shifts south to Sky Stadium (Hnry Stadium) in Wellington for the 2nd ODI! Leading the five-match series 1–0 following a five-wicket DLS victory at Eden Park in Auckland, Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma's men aim to tighten their grip on the trophy. India's disciplined pace attack-anchored by Player of the Match Anshul Kamboj (2/22) alongside Arshdeep Singh and Gurnoor Brar-bowled out the Black Caps for 185 before Virat Kohli smashed a 51-ball 74 to seal the chase. Tom Latham's hosts face a must-win scenario on Wellington's bouncy drop-in deck, leaning on Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, and Kyle Jamieson to level the series. Catch every delivery, bouncer, and live scorecard directly on Willow by Cricbuzz via TrillerTV.
India's Seam Momentum vs. Black Caps Resilience For India: After an all-round bowling clinic in Auckland, India's game plan relies on new-ball pressure and back-of-a-length testing on Wellington's traditionally windy strip. Anshul Kamboj's disciplined lines (2.20 economy in Game 1) and Arshdeep Singh's left-arm angles head the pace department. With the bat, Virat Kohli continues his prime white-ball form after anchoring the 1st ODI with a dominant half-century alongside Shubman Gill. Rohit Sharma and Shreyas Iyer will look to convert starts into substantial totals against New Zealand's seamers.
For New Zealand: Captain Tom Latham must address top-order batting stability after the hosts were reduced to 42/5 in Auckland before tailender Blair Tickner's 34 and Tim Seifert's 38 provided late resistance. Middle-order pillar Daryl Mitchell remains New Zealand's primary anchor against spin and pace alike. With the ball, tall quick Kyle Jamieson and swing bowler Jacob Duffy (3/49 in Game 1) must strike inside the opening 10 overs to put India's deep middle order under scoreboard pressure.
New Zealand ODI Squad
Lineup Core: Tom Latham (C/wk), Will Young, Tim Seifert, Henry Nicholls, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Mitchell Santner, Nathan Smith, Kyle Jamieson, Jacob Duffy, Blair Tickner
Bench / Reserves: Matt Henry, Michael Bracewell, Nick Kelly, Matthew Fisher
Tactical Focus: Blunting India's opening seamers in the first 10 overs, middle-overs strike rotation via Mitchell and Phillips, and tall-bounce bowling through Jamieson.
Tactical Focus: Probing fourth-stump corridors with the new white kookaburra, building dominant top-order partnerships, and utilizing Axar Patel's stump-to-stump accuracy.
Pitch & Playing Conditions
Pitch Profile: Sky Stadium in Wellington features a true drop-in pitch with good carry and bounce for quick bowlers early on. The stadium's iconic bowl design often channels brisk Wellington coastal winds, assisting natural swing and cross-breeze movement. Average first-innings ODI totals here hover around 235–250.
Weather Forecast: Partially cloudy and windy in Wellington with match-time temperatures around 16°C–18°C (61°F–64°F), moderate humidity, and a slight chance of light passing showers.