2nd T20I: Tilak comes clutch, Nitish puts hand as India beat NZ to take 2-0 lead

Christchurch, Oct 24 (IANS) Tilak Varma came up with another clutch performance to headline India’s come-from-behind win against New Zealand in the second T20I at the Hagley Oval here on Saturday.

With their backs against the wall at 70/5 in 10.5 overs, Tilak smashed a match-changing and unbeaten 51 from 26 balls to guide India to a much-impressive four-wicket win with a successful chase of a strong 181 in Christchurch with one ball remaining.

Nitish Kumar Reddy also put up a crucial and unbeaten hand of 26 from 13 balls and hit the winning runs for India on the second-to-last ball off Jacob Duffy to help the visitors achieve a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.

This overpowered Mitchell Santner and Glenn Phillips’ efforts, who had put New Zealand in strong positions. Santner displayed a stellar effort of 4-21 as spinners received great help from the surface, and even the speedsters gained from the slowness of the surface, which was the same as the opening match of the series, which saw India chase down 226. This time, the used surface gripped, with batters finding it hard to score.

Earlier, Phillips had scored a crucial 70 from 43 balls, while Bevon Jacobs had made 58 from 46 deliveries to take the team to a strong total of 180/5 on a tricky surface.

India began the chase with eight straight dot balls as Matt Henry bowled a maiden first over to Sanju Samson, beating his bat thrice in the six balls. The visitors were off to a mark on the ninth ball when Abhishek Sharma miscued Jacob Duffy at deep point.

Abhishek could well have been dismissed for just one had Duffy not overstepped in the second over, as the Indian opener was caught out at deep square by Nathan Smith, only for the umpire to raise his hand for a no-ball.

Abhishek hit a four on the next ball, and that kick-started India’s chase as they raced to 37/0 from four overs after a maiden first over.

However, the helpful conditions for the bowlers were soon on display when Duffy got Samson for 14 on a slower ball, caught at cover. Returnee Vaibhav Sooryavanshi could not make much of an impact as he fell on four from eight balls to Nathan Smith, with Daryl Mitchell taking a sharp catch at cover.

New Zealand captain Santner came into his own and removed Abhishek in the first over he bowled, as the batter could not clear the long, deep mid-wicket. Santner put the visitors in further hole when he got Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel in the same 11th over, as the Men in Blue were in big trouble at 71/5 after 11 overs.

In-form Naman Dhir put up a decent fight, and although he was dropped by Bevon Jacobs at point, which was a sitter, he gave hope to India for a chase. The all-rounder made 31 from 17 balls, and although most of the other batters struggled, he looked good, including against Michael Bracewell, whom he hit for a six and a four in the 14th over.

However, Santner got Dhir in his final over to complete his four-wicket haul, and it became even more difficult for India. Nitish Kumar Reddy joined Tilak Varma in the middle, and the two did not give up.

With 46 needed off 18 balls, Nitish and Tilak took 17 runs from Duffy’s third over to keep India alive. Tilak hit back-to-back fours on the first two balls of the 18th over, with Glenn Phillips misfielding one at deep mid-wicket.

The Indian vice-captain showed nerves of steel with a crucial pulled four and a six to end the over as the equation was brought to 11 off the final six balls.

Duffy came for the final over with the hosts penalised for a slow over rate and forced to bring one extra fielder inside the 30-yard circle. Tilak drilled the bowler for a four through covers on the second ball and completed his fifty on the next ball with a couple.

Tilak was disappointed with Nitish for not running a close second run, but Nitish finished things with a double towards the deep backward square leg on the second-to-last ball to finish the game.

Earlier, Phillips and Bevon Jacobs put up impressive half-centuries to lead New Zealand to a decent total of 180/5.

With New Zealand in trouble at 41/3 after 5.2 overs, Phillips (70 off 43 balls) and Jacobs (58 off 46 balls) put up a fighting 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket to lead the comeback for the hosts in the second match, which was played on the same venue and the same pitch as that run-scoring first T20I.

The surface, however, behaved much better for the bowlers this time around, with the batters finding it hard to hit the hard lengths, and the Indian bowlers also bowled well, especially in the powerplay and then at the death.

Arshdeep took two wickets, but the Kiwis had done well to put up 180/5, which was very much competitive, but it turned out to be a bit less in the end.

Brief Scores: New Zealand 180/5 in 20 overs (Glenn Phillips 70, Bevon Jacobs 58; Arshdeep Singh 2-33, Prince Yadav 1-30) lose to India (Tilak Varma 51, Naman Dhir 31; Mitchell Santner 4-21, Nathan Smith 1-34) by four wickets

–IANS

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