India Take 2-0 Lead in T20I Series Against New Zealand
India beat New Zealand by four wickets in the second T20I to take a 2-0 lead in the five-match series
India won the second T20I against New Zealand by four wickets on Saturday, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series, according to ICC.
The match in Christchurch saw New Zealand post 180/5, with Glenn Phillips scoring 70 and Bevon Jacobs adding 58. India's reply was led by Tilak Varma and Nitish Kumar Reddy, who formed an unbroken 69-run partnership for the seventh wicket to secure the win.
Varma and Reddy remained unbeaten, guiding India to victory off the penultimate ball of the game. The series now moves to Wellington for the third T20I.
India's win was marked by a stellar fightback from their lower order. New Zealand had taken the game within their grasp, reducing India to 70/5 in the 11th over. However, Naman Dhir's brisk cameo of 31 off 17 deliveries provided momentum, and Varma and Reddy took over from there.
Varma and Reddy's partnership surpassed Dinesh Karthik and Krunal Pandya's 63-run partnership against New Zealand in 2019 to become India's highest seventh-wicket partnership in T20Is. The win gives India a strong position in the series, with three more games to go.
India and New Zealand have a history of closely contested matches, with both teams having a strong record in T20Is. The series is expected to be closely watched by cricket fans, with both teams looking to gain an advantage ahead of the T20 World Cup.