Raipur: After New Zealand posted 208/6 in their 20 overs, Team India had a walk in the park to win the second T20 International by 7 wickets with 4.4 overs to spare!
It was a world record for the fastest chase by a full-member team set a 200-plus target in T20Is.
It was an ‘outrageous assault’, to quote New Zealand commentator Ian Smith.
Openers Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma, the team’s principal power hitter, were back in the hut in the first 7 balls of the chase. But Ishan Kishan and Suryakumar Yadav aka SKY made a mockery of the Kiwi bowling attack to ensure a 2-0 lead in the five-match series.
The long boundaries at Raipur’s Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Stadium were not long enough for left-handed Kishan, who smashed 11 fours and 4 sixes in his 32-ball 76. The skipper signalled his return to form with an explosive 82 not out off 37 deliveries, laced with 9 fours and 4 sixes.
The two toyed with New Zealand’s pacers and spinners as the ball kept disappearing to the boundary and over it with great regularity.
The 100 of the innings came up in 7.5 overs, and before anyone knew, the partnership was worth 122 runs in just 8 overs.
And when Kishan was dismissed top-edging one to short fine-leg, Shivam Dube came in and joined the party with Surya. Dube clobbered a four and three sixes to remain unbeaten on 36 off 18 balls.
New Zealand earlier looked good to post more than 220 before losing way in the second half of the innings to finish at least 20 short on a batting-friendly pitch.
All batters went hard and got starts, but none got past 50.
BRIEF SCORES
New Zealand 208/6 in 20 overs (Mitchell Santner 47, Rachin Ravindra 44; Kuldeep Yadav 2/35).
India 209/3 in 15.2 overs (Suryakumar Yadav 82*, Ishan Kishan 76, Shivam Dube 36*).
Result: India won by 7 wickets.
Player of the Match: Ishan Kishan.
Third T20I: Jan 25 (Guwahati, 7 pm).
