23 years after Srinath, Gurnoor Brar achieves rare Indian bowling feat in NZ

India's Gurnoor Brar, center, celebrates the wicket of New Zealand player Mitchell Santner with teammates

Gurnoor Brar produced a memorable performance with the ball in the second ODI against New Zealand, registering the second-best bowling figures by an Indian fast bowler in ODIs in New Zealand. The young pacer returned figures of 4/30 at Henry Stadium in Wellington, joining an elite list headed by former India speedster Javagal Srinath. Brar's impressive spell helped India bundle out New Zealand for just 134 in 41 overs in the rain-affected contest on Saturday. His effort placed him behind Srinath's 4/23, recorded in Auckland in 2003, in the list of best ODI bowling figures by an Indian pacer on New Zealand soil. The 29-year-old used his pace and bounce effectively to trouble the New Zealand batting line-up, particularly through the middle overs. After Auqib Nabi and Anshul Kamboj made early inroads, Brar took charge with a double-wicket maiden, dismissing Tom Latham and Glenn Phillips off successive short-pitched deliveries. Latham was forced to reach for a wide bouncer and offered a catch, while Phillips was caught off a delivery directed towards his body. Both wickets left New Zealand reeling at 53/5. Brar continued to trouble the hosts with his aggressive approach, finishing with career-best figures of 4/30. Nabi supported him with 2/31 from seven overs, while Kamboj picked up 2/25 in eight overs. Arshdeep Singh also maintained pressure with an economical spell of 0/16 in seven overs. New Zealand's innings had begun to unravel in the opening powerplay itself. Nabi removed Tim Seifert for a duck, while Kamboj accounted for Will Young and Henry Nicholls as the hosts slumped to 29/3. Daryl Mitchell offered some resistance with a patient 55 off 104 deliveries, adding 59 runs with captain Mitchell Santner, who made 31 off 38 balls. However, the partnership was not enough to prevent New Zealand from being bowled out for a modest total.

Best ODI bowling figures by an Indian pacer in New Zealand

FiguresBowlerVenueYear4/23Javagal SrinathAuckland20034/30Gurnoor BrarWellington20264/52Javagal SrinathNapier19954/55Mohammed ShamiNapier20144/70Arshdeep SinghAuckland2026

India's bowlers sent down 176 dot balls during New Zealand's innings, laying the foundation for another victory in the series. However, the visitors had to work hard in the chase after New Zealand's pacers exploited the movement and bounce on offer. Jacob Duffy dismissed Shubman Gill for a first-ball duck and Virat Kohli for seven, while Rohit Sharma contributed 23 before departing. Axar Patel managed only seven, and Shreyas Iyer's 30 provided some resistance before he was dismissed. With India struggling at 47/4, KL Rahul and Iyer attempted to rebuild the innings. Rahul remained unbeaten on 26 when rain interrupted play at 113/7 after 26 overs. India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109, securing a four-wicket victory and taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. Brar's performance was among the biggest highlights of the contest, as the young pacer announced himself with a standout effort in challenging conditions in New Zealand.