Gurnoor Brar 4-30: India pacer bundles New Zealand for 134 in 2nd ODI

Tall Indian fast bowler Gurnoor Brar delivered a career-defining spell on Saturday, 7 November, taking 4 wickets for 30 runs to help dismiss New Zealand for just 134 in 41 overs in the second One-Day International in Wellington.

The match at the Basin Reserve had been shortened slightly following morning rain, with India winning the toss and electing to field first under overcast skies on a moist, two-paced surface.

How the wickets fell

Brar, using his steep bounce from a towering 6-foot-5 frame, broke the backbone of the Kiwi lineup:

• The double breakthrough: In the 20th over, Brar removed both Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips with hostile short-pitched deliveries that forced mistimed pulls.
• Lower-order cleanup: He later trapped New Zealand skipper Mitchell Santner (31) and dismissed Nathan Smith to finish with outstanding figures of 4 for 30 in his full 10-over quota.
• Support from others: Anshul Kamboj (2/25), Axar Patel (2/28), and Auqib Nabi (2/31) shared the remaining six wickets as New Zealand struggled to build momentum.

Only Daryl Mitchell offered firm resistance with a composed 55 off 74 balls, sharing a 59-run partnership for the sixth wicket with Santner before Brar returned to break the stand.

Historic milestone in New Zealand

With his figures of 4/30, Brar registered the second-best bowling figures by an Indian fast bowler in men’s ODIs on New Zealand soil. The all-time record remains held by Javagal Srinath, who took 4 for 23 against New Zealand at Auckland back in 2003.

The performance also drew immediate comparisons to former tall Indian pacers, with cricket analysts praising Brar’s discipline in hitting the deck hard on seamer-friendly tracks.

What it means for the series

New Zealand’s low total of 134 left India chasing a modest target to seal a dominant position in the bilateral series. However, with the ball continuing to nip around under grey skies, the Wellington pitch offered enough assistance to ensure India’s top order could not take the chase lightly.