Gurnoor Brar Claims 4-30 as India Skittle New Zealand for Record-Low 134 in Wellington

India’s young pace cartel ran riot in Wellington.

Led by a hostile spell from Gurnoor Brar, the tourists dismantled New Zealand for a meager 134 in Saturday's rain-curtailed second ODI. It was the Black Caps' lowest all-out home total against India in 50-over cricket. Rain had shaved the match to 47 overs per side, but the hosts folded in under 40 overs under a relentless barrage of seam and steep bounce. Across a strangled innings, India’s attack racked up a staggering 176 dot balls.

The Early Seam Ambush

Captain Shubman Gill won the toss, sized up the damp conditions, and unleashed his quicks immediately. The dividends were instant. Auqib Nabi drew first blood, coaxing an uncontrolled drive from Tim Seifert, who fell for a duck after Anshul Kamboj hauled in a sharp diving grab at mid-wicket—Nabi’s maiden international scalp. Will Young scraped six off 17 deliveries before edging an away-seamer behind. Then Kamboj ripped through Henry Nicholls for 11, angling wide of the crease to pin the left-hander on the back foot.

New Zealand slumped to 29 for 3 inside the opening powerplay.

Then Brar took over. The tall pacer generated vicious bounce in a post-powerplay maiden over, forcing home skipper Tom Latham to slice an edge off a wide, short-pitched delivery. He followed it with a climbing lifter aimed straight at Glenn Phillips, who flailed and offered an easy catch. Both fell in the same over. At 53 for 5, the Black Caps were in freefall.

Breaking a 32-Year Record

Daryl Mitchell mounted a gritty counterattack, shaking off an early drop by Gill to compile 55 off 104 deliveries. Mitchell found support in Mitchell Santner, who punched a brisk 31 off 38 in a 59-run recovery stand. Yet Axar Patel snapped the defiance, forcing Mitchell into a mistimed lofted drive. Brar returned to clean up the tail, drawing an edge from Santner into KL Rahul’s gloves to finish with exceptional figures of 4 for 30 in his 10 overs. Kamboj and Nabi collected two wickets apiece, while Arshdeep Singh dried up the run rate with 0 for 16 in seven overs.

Saturday's capitulation eclipsed New Zealand's previous lowest home score against India—142 in Auckland back in 1994. The result condemned the Black Caps to their 11th defeat against India in 2026, marking the first time since 2001 that they have folded under 200 in consecutive ODIs in a single series.