India’s seamers and Kohli 74 power them to 1-0 lead in rain-hit match

India secured a 1-0 lead in the ODI series after defeating New Zealand by five wickets via the DLS method in Auckland. A relentless effort from India's pace attack bowled New Zealand out for 185 before Virat Kohli struck 74 off 51 balls. Supported by captain Shubman Gill's 37, India reached 143 for 5 to seal the rain-affected victory.

Opting to bowl first, India saw Arshdeep Singh take 4 for 70 and Gurnoor Brar claim 3 for 44, while Anshul Kamboj delivered an economical spell of 2 for 22. Tim Seifert top-scored for New Zealand with 38 before the hosts collapsed. Frequent rain interruptions reduced India's innings to 32 overs, but Kohli's aggressive batting ensured a comfortable win despite Jacob Duffy taking 3 for 49.