Tilak Varma struck a brutal unbeaten half-century as India powered to a thrilling four-wicket win over New Zealand in the second Twenty20 international at Hagley Oval in Christchurch on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series with one ball to spare.
Chasing 181, India looked beaten when they were reduced to 70-5 in the 11th over and then 112-6, with 68 runs still needed from the last five overs. But Varma, unbeaten on 51 off 26 balls, and Nitish Kumar Reddy, unbeaten on 26 off 13, added 69 runs off 30 balls for the seventh wicket to steal a game New Zealand had controlled for most of the evening.
"It was going through my mind, that I wanted to take the game as deep as possible and I have done it, so I'm really proud of myself," Varma said after being named player of the match. "Nitish Reddy and myself, we're really happy that we've finished the game."
Santner's spell — and the fightback
New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner's destructive spell of 4-21 through the middle overs had left India shaken. The left-arm spinner removed dangerous opener Abhishek Sharma for 27 in his first over and Naman Dhir for 31 in his fourth, and India's top order could not match the dynamic batting of the series opener, when they chased down 225.
Varma and Reddy's plan was to see off New Zealand's accurate spinners before unleashing against the seam attack at the death. "There was definitely that intent. We wanted to push it into the gaps and run hard [against the spinners]. They were really crucial, those runs," Varma said. "So we played smartly there and later on we know we can get success off the fast bowlers. We have finished off in style."
Reddy hit a six off Jacob Duffy, while Varma added two boundaries to reduce the target to 29 runs from 12 balls. Varma then attacked Nathan Smith in the penultimate over, hitting three fours and a six as India scored 18 runs from it. India needed 11 runs from the final over; Varma hit a boundary to bring up his half-century before Reddy completed the chase.
Phillips and Jacobs set the target
New Zealand had posted 180-5 after India's pacers restricted them to 43-3 during the powerplay on a Christchurch pitch that looked slower than in Thursday's high-scoring contest. Glenn Phillips, with 70, and Bevon Jacobs, with 58, turned the innings around, adding 116 for the fourth wicket. Phillips scored his second straight fifty, hitting four boundaries and four sixes, before Arshdeep Singh (2-33) had him caught near the fence. Michael Bracewell then scored 10 off two balls to help the hosts reach 180-5.
A landmark win for India
The result matched India's four-wicket win in the opening match at the same Hagley Oval venue two days earlier, which was achieved with two balls to spare after a record chase of 226. It was also a landmark for the tourists: the match was India's 300th in men's Twenty20 internationals, and the win was their 200th outright victory in the format.
The third T20I in Wellington on Tuesday, October 27, is now a must-win game for New Zealand if they are to stay alive in the series.
Why it matters
Two games, two last-over finishes, two Indian wins — but the second exposed a vulnerability. India's top order has now wobbled in both matches, and only late heroics have papered over the cracks. For New Zealand, the concern is the opposite: they have posted competitive totals twice and still lost both. Wellington will show which team has learned the lesson.
Reporting based on Reuters, the Associated Press via AFP, ESPNcricinfo and the IPL.