Skipper Suryakumar Yadav rediscovered his touch with a blistering, unbeaten 82 off just 37 balls as India stormed to a seven-wicket victory over New Zealand in the second T20 International in Raipur on Friday, taking a commanding 2–0 lead in the five-match series.
After being reduced to 6/2 at the beginning of the second over, India chased down the 209-run target with 28 balls to spare thanks to Ishan Kishan’s quick 32-ball 76 and Suryakumar’s brilliant effort. Shivam Dube contributed a fast-paced, undefeated 18-ball 36.
Suryakumar scored his maiden fifty after 23 innings and Kishan justified his national recall with a blitzkrieg knock.
With Kishan emerging as a potent top-order enforcer and Suryakumar overcoming a protracted lean period, everything seemed to be coming together for India ahead of the crucial T20 World Cup. India lost Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson within the second over of the chase, which made it more difficult for them to chase 209 on a blistering pitch.
However, India shot down the target in 15.2 overs.
Earlier, India restricted New Zealand to 208/6 on a solid batting surface thanks to two key strikes from Kuldeep Yadav in the middle overs.
In different stages of the match, captain Mitchell Santner (47 not out off 27) and Rachin Ravindra (44 off 26) took the assault to India to make sure New Zealand crossed the 200-run threshold.
Predictably, captain Suryakumar Yadav chose to bowl expecting heavy dew, with Harshit Rana and Kuldeep Yadav replacing rested Jasprit Bumrah and injured Axar Patel.
Fresh off BBL, Devon Conway (19 off 9) and Tim Seifert (24 off 13) helped the Black Caps get out to a fast start before succumbing in quick succession.
Despite getting beaten by an outswinger on the opening ball of the match, Conway, who has been caught in the slip cordon several times on the white-ball tour so far, went on the attack in the first over against Arshdeep Singh. For an 18-run over, Conway dismissed the left-arm seamer with three sharp fours and a sliced six over backward point.
Arshdeep’s next over, which again yielded 18 runs, saw Seifert smash four boundaries. Conway was dismissed for the fourth time in as many innings by Harshit Rana, who was brought in in the fourth over and continued to dominate the New Zealand lineup’s left-handers by striking off his second ball.
After playing some amazing strokes, Rachin Ravindra (44 off 23) was dismissed on a wide ball from Kuldeep. But the dangerous Glenn Phillips, who failed to connect the googly and was caught at backward point, was the first victim of the Indian wrist spinner.
New Zealand were headed for a total well over 200 at 111/3 in 10 overs, but India managed to pull things back. Shivam Dube, the seventh bowling option introduced in the 12th over, dismissed the in-form Daryl Mitchell off a slower ball. With a barrage of boundaries and a straight six from Hardik Pandya, Santer led his team to 57 runs in the final five overs.
India now lead the five-match series 2-0.
