India pulled off a tense last-over chase to beat New Zealand in the second T20I at Hagley Oval, Christchurch, taking a 2-0 lead in the five-match series. After winning the toss, India opted to bowl first.
New Zealand’s start was shaky as Seifert (7), Allen (16) and Mitchell (6) fell early. The recovery came through a fourth-wicket stand, with Glenn Phillips and Jacobs counter-attacking and both reaching half-centuries.
Phillips top-scored with 70 while Jacobs made 58, taking New Zealand to 180/5 in 20 overs. For India, Arshdeep Singh picked up two wickets, while Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Prince Yadav and Nitish Kumar took one each.
Chasing 181, India stumbled early with Sanju Samson out for 14 and debutant Suryavanshi dismissed for 4, leaving the visitors 44/2. Shreyas Iyer (7) and Axar Patel (11) also failed to build momentum before Naman Dhir’s 31 off 17 balls revived the chase.
Vice-captain Tilak Varma then took charge alongside Nitish Kumar, and the pair finished the job under pressure. Needing 11 off the final over, they completed the chase with one ball to spare, with Tilak unbeaten on 51 off 26 and Nitish on 26 off 13.
