Hardik Pandya-led India beat New Zealand by six wickets in a low-scoring thriller to level the three-T20I series on a spin-friendly Lucknow track. Indian batters had to toil hard in the middle to chase down a lowly target of 100 as only eight boundaries were scored from 19.5 overs. Even a batter of Suryakumar Yadav’s caliber, who scores at a strike rate over 180, struggled in the middle. Despite his struggles, the no.4 batter managed to seal India’s win with a boundary off penultimate delivery.
The run chase of 100 got off to a slow start. Ishan Kishan played too many dot deliveries. Shubman Gill (11) hit a couple of boundaries but got out trying to pull a short ball from Michael Bracewell as he got caught at square leg by Finn Allen. In the powerplay overs, India managed to score 29/1.
Kishan's stay at the crease came to an end in the ninth over. He got run out trying to take a second run but was caught short of the crease by Glenn Phillips' throw. Kishan played 32 deliveries and managed to score just 19 runs. At halfway stage, India’s score was 49/2. The pressure got the better of Rahul Tripathi as well. Tripathi got out trying to sweep. He scored 13 runs from 18 deliveries. Suryakumar Yadav could not score in his typical fashion as well. A mix-up led to Washington Sundar's wicket as Suryakumar did not pay heed to the non-striker's call.
The boundaries dried up and even the arrival of Pandya did not have much impact on the scoring rate. In the last two overs, India needed 13 runs as the required run rate got over six runs per over for the first time in the run chase. Pandya ended the boundary drought in the penultimate over. However, off the last ball Suryakumar refused to take the second run.
In the last over, Pandya got the top edge and got a single. Suryakumar tried to play one towards third man but missed. He hit the next one back to Blair Tickner but the bowler dropped the catch. Two singles came off the next two deliveries. On the penultimate delivery, Suryakumar cleared the mid-off fielder and hit a boundary to finish off the run chase as India saved face in a low-scoring game. He remained unbeaten for 26 off 31 deliveries. On the other end, Pandya scored 15 runs from 20 balls.
Earlier, Santner won the toss and opted to bat first. India started off well as just 10 runs were scored in the first two overs. In the third over, Kishan dropped Finn Allen's catch off Pandya's bowling. Pandya brought Chahal into the attack early and he repaid the captain's faith with the wicket of Allen (11) who got bowled trying to play reverse sweep. After Chahal's wicket-maiden, Washington Sundar dismissed Devon Conway (11). The Kiwi opener tried reverse sweeping but managed a faint edge that landed in Kishan's gloves. After powerplay overs, New Zealand had 33/2 on the board.
The fascination with reverse sweeps continued as Phillips (5) got out to Deepak Hooda trying to play one. Just before the halfway stage, Kuldeep Yadav joined the party and dismissed Daryl Mitchell. The Kiwi batter got bowled as the inside edge disturbed the stumps. The Kiwis lost four wickets for just 48 runs.
Mark Chapman struggled to score under pressure. On a difficult wicket, he had a mix-up with Bracewell and got run out. He scored just 14 runs from 21 deliveries. The struggle to score runs continued. Bracewell managed just a top edge trying to pull a short ball bowled by Pandya. He scored just 14 runs from 22 deliveries. Arshdeep Singh bowled the 18th over and got the wickets of Ish Sodhi 91) and Lockie Ferguson (0). In the last two overs, just one boundary was scored and that too by tailender Jacob Duffy. New Zealand managed to play out their full quota of 20 overs but posted 99/8, their lowest total against India in the format.
