NZ lose to India by two wickets in one-day cricket

Chasing 213, India needed eight off the last over and wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia hit the final two runs off captain Dion Nash. India finished on 214 for eight with Mongia unbeaten on 30 and Anil Kumble on six.

The match contained eight run outs -- five in the New Zealand innings. The teams are level 1-1 in their series. The third game is at the Basin Reserve in Wellington on Thursday.

Only one run was scored from the first two balls of the last over. But Kumble snicked a four to third man and then took a single before Mongia wrapped up the game.

Nash said the result was disappointing but he was proud of the fight his side showed in the field. ``We are all shattered but we are also thrilled to have been in a game which was so exciting,'' he said.

``There is nothing between the two teams, as we saw in the Test series and again here tonight, so this sets it up brilliantly for the remaining games in the series.''

Matthew Horne top-scored for New Zealand with 61 and Chris Cairns got 44 but Horne marred his performance by running out Bryan Young and Roger Twose. Sachin Tendulkar was India's leading bowler with three for 34. India made a rollicking start with Saurav Ganguly scoring a boundary through point off the first ball. He and Tendulkar put on 50 for the first wicket in 7. 5 overs before Tendulkar was expertly caught at first slip by Young off Nash for 23.

One-day specialists Chris Harris and Gavin Larsen put the clamp on the Indian batsmen and between the 20-25th overs only three runs were scored. When Harris ran out Ajay Jadeja for 26 New Zealand were in a position to win the game but dropped catches by Larsen and wicketkeeper Adam Parore proved crucial. Mongia kept his head in the closing overs to help India level the series at 1-1.