New Delhi (Gurpreet Singh): Tilak Varma produced a match-winning unbeaten 51 off 26 balls as India defeated New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20 International on Saturday. Chasing 181, India recovered from a precarious position at 70 for five to reach the target at 181 for six in 19.5 overs, with one ball remaining.
Nitish Kumar Reddy played a crucial supporting role, scoring an unbeaten 26 off just 13 deliveries. The pair launched a counterattack when India were under pressure, adding an unbroken 69 runs off 30 balls for the seventh wicket to turn the contest around.
Tilak struck six fours and a six, reaching his half-century in 25 balls. Reddy contributed a boundary and a six as the duo kept the required run rate under control and carried India across the finish line in a tense final over.
Mitchell Santner’s Four-Wicket Haul Puts India On The Back Foot
India’s chase appeared to be slipping away as New Zealand captain Mitchell Santner dismantled the middle order with figures of four wickets for 21 runs in four overs.
Sanju Samson fell for 14 to Jacob Duffy, while Nathan Smith dismissed Vaibhav Sooryavanshi for four. Abhishek Sharma offered some resistance with 27 off 21 balls, including three fours and a six, before Santner ended his innings.
Santner then removed Shreyas Iyer for seven and Axar Patel for 11, leaving India struggling at 70 for five in 10.5 overs.
Naman Dhir briefly revived the chase with an aggressive 31 off 17 balls, hitting a four and three sixes. He added valuable runs alongside Tilak before Santner dismissed him in the 15th over.
With the lower order needing to deliver, Tilak continued finding the boundaries while Reddy supplied the late acceleration. Their partnership ensured India completed a chase that had looked difficult after the loss of five wickets.
Glenn Phillips, Bevon Jacobs Lift New Zealand To 180/5
Earlier, New Zealand posted 180 for five after recovering from an early collapse, with Glenn Phillips scoring 70 off 43 balls and Bevon Jacobs making 58 off 46 deliveries.
India’s bowlers struck early to leave New Zealand at 41 for three. Arshdeep Singh dismissed Tim Seifert for seven, Prince Yadav removed Finn Allen for 16, and Bhuvneshwar Kumar accounted for Daryl Mitchell, who scored six.
Phillips and Jacobs then combined for a 116-run fourth-wicket partnership, rebuilding the innings before accelerating in the second half. Their stand took New Zealand past 100 in the 14th over and provided the platform for a competitive total.
Phillips reached his half-century off 33 balls and finished with four fours and four sixes. Jacobs brought up his fifty in 40 deliveries, hitting five fours and a six.
Arshdeep eventually broke the partnership in the 18th over, dismissing Phillips, who was caught by Naman Dhir. Jacobs fell soon after to Nitish Kumar Reddy, leaving New Zealand at 165 for five.
Arshdeep finished as India’s leading wicket-taker with two for 33 in four overs. Prince returned figures of one for 30, while Bhuvneshwar took one wicket but conceded 50 runs. Axar Patel gave away 28 runs in his four overs, while Reddy claimed one wicket for 31 in three overs.
Michael Bracewell added a late burst with a four and a six as New Zealand scored 23 runs in the final two overs to finish at 180 for five. However, Tilak and Reddy’s decisive partnership ensured India came away with a dramatic victory.
