It was a collapse of epic proportions in the second T20I at McLean Park, Napier. New Zealand lost eight wickets for just 30 runs and missed a chance of posting a mammoth total on a small ground. Arshdeep Singh and Mohammed Siraj became the architects of the collapse and etched their names in T20I record books.
Siraj and Arshdeep became the first bowling pair for India to take four or more wickets in a T20I game. Siraj took four wickets for 17 runs, the second-best bowling figures for India against the Kiwis in T20Is. Arshdeep leaked 37 runs from his quota of four overs but picked up four wickets as well. These are the best bowling figures for both bowlers in T20Is.
At one point New Zealand were on their way to posting a score from 180-200. Siraj got the prized wicket of Glenn Phillips who scored 54 runs from 33 deliveries including five fours and three sixes. In the next over, Arshdeep came back into the attack and got the wicket of Devon Conway. The Kiwi opener scored 59 runs from 49 deliveries including five fours and two sixes.
Daryl Mitchell hit a couple of boundaries but became Arshdeep's third victim of the night. No Kiwi batter from the lower order could score in double digits. James Neesham, Adam Milne and Ish Sodhi got out for ducks. Siraj affected another wicket as he ran out Milne in the penultimate over. As a result, New Zealand got all out for 160 with two balls left in the innings.
“I was a standby in the recent WC (World Cup), I worked on my lengths, tried to hit the hard lengths. I went with the same idea, if they are to score off those, they need to be good shots. I don't think 160 is a great total considering the short boundary, credit to our bowlers for a job well done,” Siraj told the broadcasters after the innings.
