Auqib Nabi of India bowls during the 2nd ODI match between New Zealand and India at the Hnry Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand on November 7, 2026. Photo: Surjeet Yadav / CREIMAS for BCCI

Auqib Nabi bowled well in the second ODI in conditions which were seaming a bit; he picked up 2/31. The seamer looked lethal in the conditions; however, Daryl Mitchell tried to charge down the track and counter the moment during his innings, as Nabi isn’t as fast as some of the Indian bowlers. Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra pointed out the same issue, suggesting it might be a limitation in his game.

“Well, if there is help in the surface, Auqib Nabi is best suited to extract something out of it. He’s a seam bowler, swing bowler. He’s a hit-the-deck hard bowler. There was enough help in the surface after the game was delayed because of rain. The pitch was also under the covers for a fairly long period of time. So surface moisture was still existing.…