KL Rahul would have had his heart in his mouth for a moment off the fifth ball of the 23rd over. Until then, he had been in supreme control of the short ball during his stay in the middle. He had struck Nathan Smith for a boundary and a six off consecutive deliveries in the 16th over. But this time, a top edge off Jacob Duffy sailed over deep square leg for six.With India precariously placed at 103/5 in their chase of 135, Rahul had to be there at the end. Had that delivery gone to hand instead of over the boundary, India may have fallen short.Eventually, they did not. Rahul, first with Shreyas Iyer and later with the lower order, helped India secure a four-run win by the DLS method and take a 2-0 lead in the series.ODI cricket has increasingly become a batsman-dominated game over the last decade. Flat pitches, heavier bats and shorter boundaries have tilted the balance in their favour, making it harder for bowlers to contain the scoring and create chances.KL Rahul finds another way to make the ball disappear!Watch the HERO VIDA India Tour of New Zealand, 2nd ODI, LIVE NOW on Sony Sports Network TV channels, Sony Vizha & Sony LIV.#SonySportsNetwork #SonyVizha #SonyLIV #NZvIND https://t.co/hs19CUkbw5— Sony Sports Network (@SonySportsNetwk) November 7, 2026So, when bowlers get on top on a surface that offers assistance, it makes for compelling viewing.Just over a month ago, India comfortably chased down 406 against the West Indies in Guwahati. On Saturday, they found themselves on the other side of the equation, chasing a modest target of 135 in the second ODI against New Zealand in Wellington.The pitch offered considerable assistance to the seamers, with the ball holding its line, moving both ways and generating steep bounce, making batting a difficult proposition throughout the contest.The New Zealand quicks made the most of the conditions to put India on the back foot early. Jacob Duffy set the tone with the new ball, dismissing Shubman Gill off the first delivery of his innings. The Indian captain edged a length ball outside off to second slip, where Henry Nicholls took a low catch. Duffy struck again in his second over, getting Virat Kohli to play early at a delivery that held up on the surface and sending him back for seven, caught at cover by Will Young.Story continues below this adRohit Sharma briefly counter-attacked, pulling Kyle Jamieson for six and whipping him over square leg for another maximum. But the New Zealand pacer eventually got his reward. Rohit went hard at a pitched-up delivery outside off and edged it to Nicholls at second slip for 23. At 47/4, the middle order had not faced a test like this in a long time.Rahul began cautiously, taking nine legal deliveries to get off the mark as New Zealand’s seamers kept probing away. Nathan Smith and Matthew Fisher kept him quiet with disciplined lines and lengths, and he even survived a review for a possible edge off Smith. He finally broke free in the 16th over, pulling Smith for successive boundaries — a four rolled off the wrists and a six swatted over deep midwicket. He continued to pick off runs, including a pull for four off Fisher. By the time Shreyas Iyer fell in the 20th over, Rahul had found a measure of the pitch.Iyer, who had only one fifty in his previous 10 innings, struggled for fluency early on, constantly beaten by the bounce and movement generated by New Zealand’s quicks. He survived a close call while attempting a ramp against Duffy but gradually found his rhythm, using the width on offer to cut and drive. Iyer reached 30 off 46 balls and, alongside Rahul, looked set to take India home. KL Rahul of India during the 2nd ODI match between New Zealand and India at the Hnry Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand on November 7, 2026. (CREIMAS)But Jamieson, who had found excellent rhythm through much of the evening, returned to dismiss him with a 136 kmph short ball that jagged back and caught Iyer in a tangle. The ball ballooned off the top edge to Tom Latham, ending the 39-run stand and putting the match in balance again.Story continues below this adAlso Read | Auqib Nabi and Gurnoor Brar show two ways to trouble New ZealandHis dismissal left Rahul with the task of taking India home alongside an inexperienced lower order. He took on Duffy with a top-edged six and kept the scoreboard moving. Naman Dhir and Anshul Kamboj also fell along the way to heighten the pressure on him.At 113/7 in 26 overs, with Jamieson bowled out, the match could have gone either way. But with India 22 runs away from the target and New Zealand three wickets away from victory, the heavens opened. India were four runs ahead of the DLS par score of 109. The drizzle persisted, and the umpires eventually called off the match.Earlier, Gurnoor Brar’s career-best figures of 4/30 helped India skittle New Zealand out for 134 runs in 41 overs. The pacer was supported by Anshul Kamboj, who took 2/25, and Auqib Nabi, who took 2/31. Axar Patel also took a couple of wickets in his nine overs.