(REUTERS) – Captain Gautam Gambhir compiled a flawless century to guide India to a resounding eight-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second one-day international yesterday. Chasing a 259-run victory target, opener Gambhir struck an unbeaten 138 from 116 balls, his eighth ODI century, as the hosts reached their target with seven overs to spare to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
Gambhir dominated an 87-run opening partnership with Murali Vijay (33) to set the tone for the chase. But it was his 116-run stand with the in-form Virat Kohli (64) for the second wicket which took the match away from New Zealand’s grasp.
Wary of the dew factor, Gambhir asked New Zealand to bat and the Kiwis reached a respectable 258 for eight, a total built around half-centuries from Martin Guptill (70) and Scott Styris (59).
New Zealand lost opener Jamie How (5) in the fourth over to Shanthakumaran Sreesanth but Guptill and Styris added 65 runs for the fourth wicket and the tourists notched another couple of half-century partnerships to go past the 250-mark.
Sreesanth (four for 47) removed Styris and captain Daniel Vettori (31), who returned after missing the first match in Guwahati with a back injury, off successive deliveries but was denied a hat-trick by Nathan McCullum.
Vadodara hosts the third match on Saturday.

NEW ZEALAND innings:
M. Guptill c Saha b Ashwin    70
J. How c Saha b Sreesanth    5
K. Williamson b Patel    29
R. Taylor c Kohli b Pathan    15
S. Styris c Saha b Sreesanth    59
D. Vettori b Sreesanth    31
G. Hopkins not out    11
N. McCullum run-out    12
K. Mills b Sreesanth    13
T. Southee not out    2
Extras: (lb-5, w-6)    11
Total: (eight wickets; 50 overs)    258
Fall of of wickets: 1-14, 2-64, 3-96, 4-161, 5-219, 6-219, 7-243, 8-256.
Bowling: Nehra 9-1-45-0, Sreesanth 9-1-47-4, Patel 8-0-34-1 (w-2), Ashwin 10-0-52-1 (w-1), Yuvraj 9-1-48-0 (w-3), Pathan 4-0-23-1, Raina 1-0-4-0.

INDIA innings:
M. Vijay b Vettori    33
G. Gambhir not out    138
V. Kohli c Taylor b McKay    64
Yuvraj Singh not out    16
Extras: (w-8) 8
Total: (two wickets, 43 overs) 259
Fall of wickets: 1-87, 2-203.
Bowling: McCullum 9-0-37-0 (w-1), Mills 7-0-49-0, McKay 7-0-59-1 (w-2), Styris 3-0-20-0, Vettori 8-0-32-1, Southee 5-0-33-0 (w-2), Williamson 4-0-29-0.