India vs New Zealand 1st ODI Result: Kohli's 74 Powers India to Five-Wicket Win at Eden Park

India vs New Zealand 1st ODI result: India have beaten New Zealand by five wickets under the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method in the first ODI of the five-match series at Eden Park, Auckland, on Wednesday, November 4, 2026. Chasing a rain-revised target of 143 in 32 overs, India reached 143 for 5 in just 22.4 overs, with 56 balls to spare, to take a 1-0 series lead. Virat Kohli was the star of the chase with 74 off 51 balls, while Arshdeep Singh led the bowling with four wickets as New Zealand were bowled out for 185 in 40.2 overs. The result continues India's winning run on this tour, after the visitors had already won the T20I series 3-2.

India vs New Zealand 1st ODI Result: How India Won at Eden Park

India captain Shubman Gill won the toss and chose to field first, and his bowlers justified the call on a pitch offering bounce and seam movement. New Zealand never got going against a second-string Indian pace attack: Arshdeep Singh took 4 for 70 from his 10 overs, Gurnoor Brar claimed 3 for 44, and Anshul Kamboj was outstandingly economical with 2 for 22 from 10 overs. Only four New Zealand batters reached double figures, and the hosts were in deep trouble before a late cameo dragged them to a total that still looked well below par.

Tim Seifert top-scored for New Zealand with 38, while Daryl Mitchell made 28 and Glenn Phillips 30. The innings was rescued from total embarrassment by last man Blair Tickner, who smashed 34 off just 23 balls, including four sixes, in a 39-run final-wicket stand with Jacob Duffy. Even so, 185 all out in 40.2 overs left New Zealand well short, and rain then changed the shape of the match completely.

India vs New Zealand 1st ODI Result: Rain, DLS and the Revised Target

Rain had already delayed the start of play by 20 minutes, and it returned during India's chase, forcing a long interruption. When play resumed, the match had been reduced to 32 overs a side, and India were set a revised DLS target of 143. That left India needing 143 at a manageable rate. India reached the target with more than nine overs of their revised innings unused.

India vs New Zealand 1st ODI Result: Kohli's 74 and the 113-Run Stand

India lost Rohit Sharma early, in the first over of the chase, but that only brought Kohli to the crease sooner. A day short of his 38th birthday, Kohli played one of his most fluent ODI innings in recent times, reaching his fifty off 35 balls and finishing with 74 off 51 balls, including 13 fours and a six. It was his 80th half-century in ODI cricket,. Captain Shubman Gill played the supporting role perfectly, scoring a circumspect 37 off 56 balls, and the pair added 113 runs together to take the game away from New Zealand.

New Zealand did fight back late through Jacob Duffy, who took 3 for 49, including the wicket of Kohli, caught by Seifert after mistiming a pull shot. India lost a cluster of wickets for very few runs near the finish, which briefly gave the hosts hope, but the target was small enough that India still crossed the line in the 23rd over. The late wobble will be a footnote for Gill's team, but it is also a reminder that the middle order still has work to do when the senior batters fall in quick succession.

India vs New Zealand 1st ODI Result: Kohli's Viral Slip Catch

Kohli had already lit up the match before he batted, with a catch that went viral on social media during New Zealand's innings. Fielding at second slip, he dived low to his side and held a stunning one-handed catch to dismiss Nathan Smith for just 1, leaving New Zealand reeling further at a stage when their innings was already falling apart. Combined with the 74 that followed, it made Kohli the central figure of the series opener.

What Happens Next in the India vs New Zealand ODI Series

1. Second ODI in Wellington: both teams now head to Wellington for the second match of the five-match series, played on Saturday, where New Zealand will look to level the series.
2. New Zealand's missing stars: the hosts were without Rachin Ravindra, Devon Conway and Mark Chapman at Eden Park, and their return, if fit, would strengthen a batting line-up that folded for 185.
3. India's bowling depth: with Arshdeep, Brar and Kamboj all impressing, India have shown they can win away from home even without their first-choice attack.
4. Kohli's form: a fluent 74, a day before his 38th birthday, is another reminder that Kohli remains India's most reliable chaser in white-ball cricket.

India vs New Zealand 1st ODI Result: Frequently Asked Questions