Tilak, Nitish hold their nerve as India take 2-0 lead

New Zealand v India, 2nd T20I, Scorecard

The second T20I between New Zealand and India came to a thrilling conclusion as the tourists won the encounter by four wickets.

Though the result looked like a foregone conclusion as the Men in Blue needed 11 off six in the final over with set batters Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy on strike but the Kiwis had the contest within their grasp just a few overs back. It took a stellar fightback from India's lower order to secure a famous win in Christchurch.

Asked to bat first, New Zealand endured an early setback as Arshdeep Singh and Bhuvneshwar Kumar struck in the second and third overs respectively, dismissing Tim Seifert and Daryl Mitchell for single-digit scores.

Finn Allen attempted to rebuild the innings but fell for 16 after Prince Yadav produced a superb delivery to knock over his leg stump, leaving the hosts at 41/3 at the end of the Powerplay.

Glenn Phillips, who had smashed an unbeaten 82 in the series opener, once again stepped up for New Zealand, joining forces with Bevon Jacobs to revive the innings.

The pair mixed aggression with composure to stitch together a crucial 116-run partnership, taking the hosts past the 150-run mark and putting them in a strong position to post a challenging total.

Phillips struck eight boundaries including four sixes in his 43-ball 70 before departing off the final delivery of the 18th over, slicing it straight to Naman Dhir. Jacobs followed soon after, having contributed a well-compiled 58 off 46 balls.

Michael Bracewell added a late flourish, striking a four and a six off the only two deliveries he faced as New Zealand finished on 180/5.

In reply, India got off to a steady start through Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, who added 40 runs for the opening wicket. Samson, however, was undone by Jacob Duffy’s slower delivery, bringing his scratchy innings to an end.

Teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi walked in next but couldn't settle in and managed just four runs during his stay. 

This was followed soon after by Abhishek's dismissal as New Zealand furthered their hold on the game. Mitchell Santner played a key role getting the wickets of Abhishek, Axar Patel and India captain Shreyas Iyer.

A target of 181 looked far for India as they were left struggling at 70/5 in the 11th over. But it was Naman Dhir, who played a brisk cameo, scoring 31 off 17 deliveries, to offer offered India much needed momentum.

But it was Santner who struck yet again to get rid of Dhir and put New Zealand back into the driver's seat.

Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy celebrate after pulling off the chase for India. // Getty Images

Tilak Varma, however, remained unfazed by the mounting pressure. Walking in at No.6, he was watchful at the start before picking the pace, ensuring that the chase remained within reach.

Nitish Kumar Reddy provided valuable support at the other end, scoring 26 off just 13 deliveries as the pair kept India going despite the stiff asking rate.

Their unbroken 69-run stand for the seventh wicket proved decisive, surpassing Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya’s 63-run partnership against New Zealand in 2019 to become India’s highest seventh-wicket partnership in T20Is. India sealed the win off the penultimate ball of the game, with the duo still at the crease.

The victory gives India a 2-0 lead in the five-match T20I series, with three more games to go. The series now moves to Wellington, where the third T20I will be played.

Series schedule:

First T20I: 22 October, Christchurch (India won by four wickets)

Second T20I: 24 October, Christchurch

Third T20I: 27 October, Wellington

Fourth T20I: 30 October, Auckland

Fifth T20I: 1 November, Hamilton