India overcome NZ in 2nd T20I, level series 1-1: Stats
India beat New Zealand in the second T20I to level the three-match series 1-1 on Sunday. Batting first, NZ piled up 99/8 in 20 overs. Indian spinners were all over the Kiwis. Meanwhile, Arshdeep Singh snapped two quick wickets in the death overs. The hosts fumbled in the chase but got the job done, thanks to Suryakumar Yadav and Hardik Pandya. Here's more.
How did the match pan out?
Put to bowl, India kept things under control as NZ tallied 48/4 in 9.6 overs. Stand-in skipper Mitchell Santner (19*) got them close to a 100-run total. Spinners Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav, Washington Sundar, and Deepak Hooda put NZ under the cosh. India's top-order failed to get going, but SKY (26*) and Pandya (15*) them through (101/4).
Arshdeep dazzles in the death overs
Left-arm quick Arshdeep, who was introduced in the 18th over, bowled short to get the better of Ish Sodhi and Lockie Ferguson in a span of few deliveries. He claimed figures of 2/7 in two overs. He now has 39 T20I wickets in 25 matches.
Indian spinners dictate the show
Kuldeep took 1/17 to tally 46 T20I scalps, averaging 14.21. All-rounder Hooda chimed in with a wicket as well. He also claimed 1/17 from four overs. Chahal bowled 2 overs, including a maiden (1/4). He has raced to 91 T20I scalps and is India's highest-wicket taker in T20Is, steering clear of Bhuvneshwar Kumar (90). Washington Sundar also took 1/17 from 3 overs.
Spinners take charge in Lucknow
Indian spinners have dominated the ongoing three-match series. As per Cricbuzz, they recorded 3/56 in 10 overs in Ranchi (economy: 5.60). They bettered their numbers in Lucknow, registering 4/55 in 13 overs (economy: 4.32).
India level the series
India now own a 13-10 win-loss record against New Zealand in T20Is (tied: 1). Notably, the Black Caps last won a bilateral T20I series versus India in 2019. India routed the Kiwis 1-0 in their last bilateral T20I assignment in 2022. The third and final T20I against NZ will take place on February 1 in Ahmedabad.
New Zealand put up a lackluster show
New Zealand amassed 99/8 in 20 overs. As per ESPNcricinfo, it's their second-lowest total against India in T20I cricket. Their lowest score reads 61/6, which they registered in Thiruvananthapuram in 2017.
SKY, Pandya attain these numbers
SKY scored a 31-ball 26*, hitting just one boundary. He now has 1,651 T20I runs at 47.17. His partner Pandya scored 20-ball 15* (4s: 1). He now has 1,241 runs across 86 matches, striking at 140-plus.
