IND vs NZ 2nd ODI: KL Rahul hits century as India posts 284/7

India posted 284/7 in the second ODI against New Zealand at the Niranjan Shah Stadium in Rajkot, with KL Rahul and Mohammed Siraj making the final push.

KL Rahul was the standout performer for India, scoring a composed 112 off 92 balls, anchoring the innings after a collapse in the middle overs. Rahul held one end together as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

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India’s troubles began after a promising start. Captain Shubman Gill set the tone with a fluent 56 off 53 balls, registering his 18th ODI half-century, before being dismissed by Kyle Jamieson. Rohit Sharma also looked comfortable during his stay, scoring 24 off 38 balls before falling to Kristian Clarke.

The middle order failed to capitalise, with Virat Kohli departing for 23 off 29 balls, chopping Clarke onto his stumps. During his innings, Kohli surpassed Sachin Tendulkar to become India’s highest run-scorer against New Zealand in ODIs, achieving the milestone in just 35 matches. Shreyas Iyer struggled to convert his start, managing 8 off 17 balls before chipping Clarke straight to Michael Bracewell inside the circle.

All-rounder Ravindra Jadeja attempted to steady the innings but was dismissed for 27 off 44 balls, falling to Bracewell as pressure continued to mount on the Indian batters.

Lower down the order, Nitish Kumar Reddy added a brisk 20 off 20 balls before being caught by Glenn Phillips off Zakary Foulkes. Harshit Rana, who walked in later, was dismissed for 2 off 3 balls by debutant Jayden Lennox.

New Zealand skipper Michael Bracewell has led well in the field, rotating his bowlers effectively and using himself at crucial moments to keep India in check and apply sustained pressure through the middle overs.

New Zealand will now take on the task of playing past the 284 posted by the hosts.