IND vs NZ 2nd T20I Commentary - Ranchi (19 November 2021)

SIX! CRUNCHED! Full ball, outside off. Rishabh Pant reaches out and smacks it over deep mid-wicket for a maximum! He clears the ropes by a very small margin! India are only a hit away from victory now!

SIX! There comes Rishabh Pant's one-handed biggie and he seals the game as well as the series for India in his trademark style! A slower ball, on a length, around off. Pant skips down and lofts it back over the bowler's head for a maximum! INDIA WIN THE MATCH BY 7 WICKETS and they take an unassailable lead of 2-0 in this three-match T20I series.

Length ball, around middle. Venkatesh Iyer eases it to long on for a run.

NOT OUT! Fractionally short and around off, Rishabh Pant looks to heave it across the line but he fails to middle his shot properly. There is some sound as it goes to the keeper. The Kiwis appeal for caught behind but the umpire says no. Tim Southee opts for a review but the UltraEdge clearly shows that the ball had brushed the thigh pad and not the bat. The third umpire quickly checks for the lbw as well but the impact is well outside off.

Good-length ball, around off. Rishabh Pant skips down a bit and looks to defend but gets hit high on his thumb as the ball shoots off from the deck. That would have hurt but he is not showing much pain.

Back of a length, around middle. Rishabh Pant looks to tuck it to the leg side but he misses and gets hit on the body. Pant is clearly struggling to find his timing.

Leg bye! Good-length ball, down the leg side. Rishabh Pant misses his flick and the ball clips his thigh pad. The ball rolls away to the leg side for a leg bye.

FOUR! Shortish outside off, Venkatesh Iyer looks to push it off the back foot towards covers but he gets a thick outside edge and the ball races away to the fence at third man. 11 runs needed off 18 balls.

Length ball, around off. Venkatesh Iyer pushes it to mid off.

Short of a length, outside off. Venkatesh Iyer stays back and punches it towards deep cover for a single.

OUT! TAKEN! Soft dismissal and Rohit Sharma is absolutely distraught with himself! A touch short in length around off, sticking into the surface and Sharma gets deceived by it. He pushes it uppishly towards Martin Guptill at extra cover who takes a dolly there. End of a fine knock by the Indian skipper but he would have loved to finish the chase. 19 needed more off 27 balls.

Length ball, around leg. Suryakumar Yadav clips it to fine leg and gets off the mark with a run.

Full ball, outside off. Venkatesh Iyer works it towards long off for a single.

OUT! Chopped on! Back of a length, outside off. Suryakumar Yadav looks to cut it away from his body but gets a thick inside edge which rattles the off stump. A top outing for Southee, 4-0-16-3.

Back of a length, jagging back in from outside off. Rohit Sharma is cramped for room as he tries to cut it. The ball goes towards point and the batters take one.

Good-length ball, around middle. Venkatesh Iyer hangs back and pushes it back to the bowler.

FOUR! Streaky, but Venkatesh Iyer won't mind that! He finally gets off the mark! Good-length ball, just outside off. Iyer looks to punch it through covers but he gets a thick inside edge and the ball goes past the keeper and races away to the fence at fine leg.

Back of a length, around off. Venkatesh Iyer looks to tuck it on the leg side but he misses and gets hit high on his body. The ball rolls away to the off side.

Length ball, angling in from middle. Venkatesh Iyer turns it to wide mid on for a hesitant run.

SIX! WOW! What a way to bring up your fifty! Milne bangs it into the deck, around leg. Rohit Sharma stays back and plays his trademark hook shot over fine leg to collect a maximum. His 25th T20I fifty.

Good-length ball, on the pads. Rohit Sharma tickles it uppishly towards fine leg for a single.

OUT! TAKEN! Tim Southee strikes and the Kiwis finally get the breakthrough! A slower ball, banged into the pitch, around off. KL Rahul sits back and looks to heave it over deep mid-wicket but he does not middle it. The ball takes the splice of the bat and lobs up in the air. Glenn Phillips at deep square leg settles under it and takes a good catch.

FOUR LEG BYES! Short ball, around middle. Rohit Sharma looks to pull but he misses and gets hit on his right shoulder. The ball races away past the keeper and goes into the fence.

Back of a length, around leg. Rohit Sharma tucks it behind square on the leg side for a run.

Good-length delivery, angling in from off. Venkatesh Iyer stays back and pushes it to cover.

Swing and a miss! Back of a length, jagging back in from outside off. Venkatesh Iyer stands tall and looks to punch it through covers but he misses. 32 runs needed off 36 balls.

Full ball, on the pads. Worked past short fine leg for one.

Tossed up, on the pads. Rahul works it to long on for one.

SIX! High and handsome! Sharma backs away to the leg side so Santner follows him with a flatter ball. Sharma rocks back and pulls it over the square leg fence.

Tossed up, outside off. Rohit Sharma gets down on his knees, reaches out and paddles it behind square on the leg side for a run.

Flatter ball, around middle and leg. KL Rahul backs away and works it towards long on for a single.

A low full toss, outside off. Rohit Sharma strokes it towards sweeper cover and keeps the strike for the next over. 38 runs needed off 42 balls.

Full ball, on the pads. Flicked to fine leg for one.

Short of a length, on leg. Sharma slaps it to long on for one.

A very full ball, outside off. Rahul drills it to long off for one.

Short ball, down the leg side. Sharma goes for the pull but the ball zips over his head. Tim Seifert does well to gather it. Wide called.

FOUR! Brilliantly played! Yorker, on off. Sharma carves it towards point. The man in the deep runs to his left and dives but cannot stop it. Boundary and that brings up the 100-run stand between these two!

Length ball, on the pads. Worked past square leg for a single.

FOUR! Wonderfully played! Slower ball, on a length, down the leg side. Rahul clips it past short fine leg and the ball runs to the fence. India's game to lose now. They need 49 in 8 overs.

Lands it on a length and close to off, Rahul defends it back from the inside portion of his bat.

SIX! KL Rahul has smashed a flat maximum. Reached his fifty off 40 balls. Fuller in length and outside off, Rahul attacks it well and smacks it over extra cover for a biggie.

FOUR! Pace on the ball and punished. Short and around middle, angling down, KL Rahul swivels on the back foot and hammer-pulls it behind square leg for a boundary. Lovely placement, bisecting the two fielders in the deep.

A yorker around middle, it's squeezed down through mid on for a single.

Short in length and outside off, lack of bounce, Rohit adjusts well and pulls it all along the ground to deep square leg for a run.

Back of a length around leg, KL lifts his front leg and glances it down to long leg for one. 29 runs in the last two overs and India have brought the required rate under 7.

SIX! The pressure was building and India needed this biggie. Short and around middle, skidding on with the arm of the bowler, Rohit Sharma steps back to make room and rockets it over mid-wicket for a maximum.

Flatter and around off, Sharma again steps back to create room and then slaps it to sweeper cover for a single. The intentions are clear now from India, they need to up the scoring ante.

Short and around off, it's fired in by Santner, Rahul cuts it through point for one.

SIX! The Hitman is flexing his muscles! Arm ball from Santner, around off and skidding in, Rohit Sharma clears his front leg and smokes it over mid-wicket for a handsome biggie. The crowd is enjoying it. This is brilliant batting.

PUT DOWN! Rohit Sharma survives - life is granted to him by his Mumbai teammate, Trent Boult. Santner delivers it full and around off, Rohit Sharma tries to slog across the line but it takes the top edge and flies behind the bowler. Boult comes running in from long on but fails to catch the ball with a slide. Usually, Trent Boult is known to take fantastic catches and he will be disappointed with this effort. A run is taken. 

Shortish and around off, punched from the crease to deep cover for a single. 16 from the over, a much-needed one for India. At the halfway mark, this match is interestingly poised. 75 needed off 60 balls but on this pitch, it's a matter of one wicket. Not easy to play shots here.

Terrific delivery. Nicely tossed up and it lands very full, almost a yorker around off, KL digs it out back towards the bowler.

Full and around leg, knocked down to long on for a run.

Another full toss that has not been put away, this time by Rohit. He heaves it over mid-wicket and it's stopped on one bounce by the fielder in the deep. A single.

Loopy and on middle, fuller in length, Rahul wrists it in front of square leg for a single.

Not easy to middle the shots. Full and flighted around middle, Rohit dances down the track for a big heave-ho but gets too close to the pitch of the ball. He ends up dragging it off the inner edge to mid-wicket. They cross.

A long hop from Sodhi, around middle, Rahul pulls it towards wide long on and collects a couple of runs.

Fuller and around off, Rahul presses forward and drives it square of the wicket on the off side for a single.

Santner delivers it full and around middle, Rohit makes room and strokes it through extra cover for a couple of runs.

Quicker through the air, short and flat on middle, Sharma goes on the back foot and plays it down to mid-wicket.

Floated one, full and sliding down the leg side, Sharma attempts to play the paddle sweep but misses. It brushes his pads and rolls behind square leg. They cross for a leg bye as Mitchell Santner puts in a muted appeal.

Darts it in, short and around off, Rahul goes deep inside the crease and forces it to sweeper cover for a single.

Arm ball, around off and skidding in, Rohit stands back and pushes it towards the bowler. Santner collects the ball and that's the end of a tidy over from him.

Aerial but past the bowler in a flash! Short and around off, KL Rahul rocks back and blazes it back past the bowler, near taking Sodhi's head. The ball scurries to long off and they take two. The replays showed that the ball swerved a bit in the air and hence went away from Sodhi. Lucky escape for Ish. Southee sees the funny side of that incident.

Flat and short again, on middle, Rahul goes on the back foot again and punches it to long on for a single.

Floated and full around off, Sharma leans and knocks it down to long on for one.

A touch flat and full, around leg, it's eased down through mid on for a run. 50 up for India! Another solid alliance between Rohit and Rahul, their 5th 50-run stand in a row, informs Murali Kartik on air.

Tossed up around off, fuller in length, Sharma drives it with the spin to sweeper cover for one.

A full toss and KL has failed to put it away. He only manages to drag it to deep mid-wicket for a single.

SIX! Slapped! Rahul is looking in great touch out there! Short of a length, angling across off. Rahul backs away to the leg side and creates room. He then slaps it over the cover fence and the ball flies all the way.

Fuller ball, on off. KL Rahul drives it down the ground. The man at mid off dives to his right and gets his hand to it. The ball ricochets towards mid on and they get one.

Yorker, just outside off. Sharma blocks it with ease.

Length ball, on the pads. Sharma works it to deep mid-wicket for one.

Short ball, down the leg side. The ball goes way over Rahul and it is called a wide.

Full ball, outside off. Rahul carves it to covers. There is a fumble but no run is taken.

Short of a length, on the pads. Rahul pulls it away. Daryl Mitchell runs to his right from deep square leg, he slides and keeps it to one. That ends the Powerplay and India are 45 without loss. Good start for them.

Slower ball, on a length, outside off. Rahul punches it away. The man at point dives but does not stop it. There is protection in the deep so just a single.

Full ball, on the pads. Worked past mid-wicket for one.

Length ball, on off. Pushed to covers.

Short ball, outside off. Sharma pulls it to the right of deep mid-wicket. The fielder runs across and keeps it to one.

Another appeal by Southee! Length ball, wide outside off. Rahul goes hard at it with his hands but misses. The keeper gathers it and they appeal. But the umpire is unmoved.

Length ball, around off. Pushed past mid on for one.

Fuller ball, on off. Rahul pushes it to mid on.

An attempted slower one, but this goes way outside off. Left alone and called a wide.

 FOUR! Pumped! Full ball, on the pads. Bread and butter for Rahul as he flicks it aerially to the mid-wicket fence.

Length ball, on the pads. Rahul works it past square leg for one.

SIX! There she goes! The Rohit Sharma pull shot! Short of a length, wide outside off. He pulls it across the line, keeps it aerially and the ball goes over the square leg fence.

Short of a length, outside off. Cut away to deep point for one.

Back of a length, around off. Rahul stands tall and taps it towards backward point for one.

Loopy ball, on off. Sharma looks to work it away but gets it off the inner half of the bat to short fine leg for one.

Rahul backs away to the leg side so Santner follows him. It's pushed to covers by Rahul.

Loopy ball, around off. Tapped to covers by Rahul.

Pushed quicker through the air, around off. Pushed to the left of the long off fielder for one.

Darted on the pads. Sharma looks to whip it away but gets hit on the pads. A good over by Santner so far.

Mitchell Santner finishes well! Tossed up, on leg. There is some extra bounce as Sharma looks to block. It hits the shoulder of the bat and drops dead on the pitch.

FOUR! Glorious stroke! Length ball, outside off. Rahul leans into it and drives it perfectly through covers for a boundary.

Short of a length, around off. Rahul blocks it out with ease.

Fuller ball, on off. Rahul pushes it to cover. The fielder dives and stops the ball.

Rahul chops this length ball to the right of the keeper. He looks for one but is sent back.

On a length, angling across the right-hander. Rahul stands tall and pushes it towards point.

FOUR! KL Rahul started the over with a majestic drive and he ends it in the same fashion! Length ball, just outside off. He leans into it, offers the full face of the bat and drives it past mid off for a boundary. That shot was a treat to the eyes.

FOUR! Edged and a boundary! Full ball, lands outside off and swings away. Rahul goes for the drive but gets the outside edge. The ball goes past the two slips and runs to the fence.

Short of a length, outside off. Rahul chops it past point. He gets a couple of runs.

Big appeal by Tim Southee! Full ball, down the leg side. KL Rahul misses the flick. Southee puts in a big appeal for caught behind but the umpire is unmoved. Wide called. UltraEdge shows that it clipped the pads. 

Length ball, on off. Blocked out.

On a length, just outside off. Rahul punches it to covers.

Shorter ball, outside off. Rahul rises with the bounce and cuts it to point.

Full ball, on off. Rahul punches it straight down the ground. Southee gets his right hand down and gets something on it. The ball goes past him and they get one.