One-day international, Jaipur:
India 259-2 (43 overs) beat New Zealand 258-8 (50 overs) by eight wickets
Match scorecard

Yuvraj (left) congratulates Gambhir on his century

Stand-in captain Gautam Gambhir led by example with an unbeaten 138 as India beat New Zealand by eight wickets in the second one-day international.

Half-centuries from Martin Guptill and Scott Styris were the high points of the visitors' total of 258-8 in Jaipur.

Sreesanth's figures of 4-47 restricted New Zealand to a catchable total.

But a second-wicket stand of 116 between Gambhir and Virat Kohli helped India to victory and open up a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.

Put in to bat after losing the toss, the Kiwis began quietly, with Jamie How caught behind for only five off the bowling of Sreesanth.

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Kane Williamson added 29 with Ross Taylor contributing 15 runs as the tourists limped to 96-3 off 24 overs.

But Guptill and Styris steadied the ship, taking the total past 150 in 35 overs.

Just as it looked as if the batting side were getting the upper hand, Guptill (70) was caught behind as square-leg umpire Nigel Llong went to the third umpire to adjudicate on a possible stumping off the same ball.

That brought together Styris and Daniel Vettori, who made 58 off 51 balls for the fifth wicket, but two wickets in quick succession - Styris for 56 off 59 balls, and Vettori for 31 off 32 balls - snuffed out that late rally.

Nathan McCullum and Kyle Mills did their bit to push the score to 258-8 but it was still an achievable target for India.

Gambhir wasted little time with the reply and completed his half-century in only 44 balls, before his opening partnership of 87 with Murali Vijay came to an end when Vijay fell to Vettori.

That brought Kohli to the crease, and he helped propel the score to 150 off 29 overs, with boundaries off successive balls.

Kohli reached his ninth half-century by pulling a Kyle Mills delivery to the deep square-leg boundary, and Gambhir soon trumped him by reaching his eighth century off just 89 balls, sealing it with a boundary off the bowling of Andy McKay.

Sensing victory, Kohli tried to speed things up but fell victim to a stunning Ross Taylor catch with his score on 64.

With 56 runs needed to win off 85 balls, Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh (16 not out) finished things off, underlining their advantage with 17 runs off McKay's seventh over, including three boundaries.

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