IND vs NZ 2023, 2nd T20I: Who won yesterday’s India vs New Zealand match?

India beat New Zealand by six wickets in yesterday’s (January 29) T20I match at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ekana Cricket Stadium in Lucknow. With the win, the Men in Blue leveled the three-match series at 1-1. The decider will be played at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Wednesday, February 1.

New Zealand won the toss and decided to bat first in Lucknow. However, the move backfired as they were held to 99/8 on a turning surface. The Indian batters themselves struggled in the chase, getting home with just a solitary ball to spare.

The Kiwis got off to a bizarre start as the first three wickets fell to reverse sweeps. Finn Allen (11) was bowled by Yuzvendra Chahal as the ball ricocheted off his back leg onto the stumps. Devon Conway (11) lobbed a catch off Washington Sundar to the keeper, while Glenn Phillips (five) was comprehensively bowled by part-timer Deepak Hooda.

Daryl Mitchell (eight) fell to a beauty from Kuldeep Yadav as the wrist-spinner castled the right-hander with a delivery that spun back sharply. The Kiwis lost half their side for 60 when Mark Chapman (14) was run-out after a mix-up with Michael Bracewell. Incidentally, Chapman also attempted a reverse sweep.

Bracewell himself fell for 14, top-edging a hook off Hardik Pandya. Arshdeep Singh chipped in with the wickets of Ish Sodhi (one) and Lockie Ferguson (0) as New Zealand were held to under 100.

Team India lost Shubman Gill for 11 in the chase as he pulled Bracewell to deep square leg. Ishan Kishan (19) was run-out after Rahul Tripathi refused a second run. Tripathi also fell for 13, sweeping Sodhi to deep midwicket. The Men in Blue were 70/4 in the 15th over when Sundar (10) sacrificed his wicket after Suryakumar Yadav was adamant on a close run.

Suryakumar (26* off 31) and Hardik Pandya (15* off 20) struggled for fluency. They hit only one four each. Suryakumar’s boundary off Blair Tickner in the last over took India past New Zealand’s total.

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India vs New Zealand 2023: Who was Player of the Match in 2nd T20I?

India’s spinners were brilliant on a turning track, with Sundar, Chahal, Hooda, and Kuldeep claiming one wicket each while keeping things extremely tight. Suryakumar may have struggled for a change, but stayed till the end to guide the Men in Blue to a series-leveling victory.

For New Zealand, Bracewell was outstanding with figures of 1/13 from his four overs.

Suryakumar was named Player of the Match for his crucial 26* on a tough batting surface.